Journey
by KH2083
Summary: Illyana Rasputin has been kidnapped to the realm ruled by Magic and Sword. She starts her long journey home, chased by people who believe that her power of stepping through light disk will change their homeland.
1. Chapter 1

**Journey **

World: Marvel / Original

Main characters: Illyana Rasputin from New Mutants

Time: Alternate timeline

Special thanks to beta reader Mako-clb, for her hard and good work.

**Chapter 1**

_Tonight this journey seals my fate_

_Far beyond the open gate_

_To the secret places never seen before_

_For this final odyssey into_

_Arcana, Arcana_

The tall, long-haired man was walking along a curvy and rocky path running around a steep mountain side. The air temperature at such a high altitude was very low and because of that the man covered himself with a brown, warm cape under which he hid leather armor and a sword attached to his belt. He was carrying a gnarled wooden cane, which towered over him. He was looking all around, admiring the view of grey mountains peaks covered with snow that sparkled in the sunlight which reigned over the landscape. The traveler stopped, then he stared overhead and noticed dark mouths of caves emerging from the stone wall enveloped in a morning mist. He knew that he was already close to his destination; his eyes revealed pleasure. He smiled to himself thinking that once again he had managed to travel to the far north. When he was almost at the peak of the mountain, the visibility was so poor, that the wanderer had been forced to help himself with a cane in order to distinguish hard rock of the road from the chasm waiting outside it for his one careless step. The man reached the entry to the cave and leaned against the wall in order to rest after his exhausting journey. He looked behind himself, as if trying to perceive something or somebody on the road which he had travelled a few minutes ago. He smiled, the reason known only to himself. After a few minutes he was ready to continue his trek. When he was walking through a cave plunged in darkness a murmur of the underground river flowing under his feet was heard all around the grotto. The moisture inside and cold temperature were unbearable so the man started to walk faster. After a while he once again found himself in an open space to his satisfaction. As it turned out he was standing above the clouds on the top of the mountain. There was a huge temple door carved in a rock centuries ago. It looked like it was merged with stones, like it was being born from them continuously. The wanderer was stunned by its beauty in spite of the fact that he had seen it not for the first time. Complex sculptures and geometric shapes symbolizing the Sun astonished him with their beauty. The enormous building or maybe the special atmosphere of that place caused the wonderer to forget about the overwhelming coldness on the mountain top, and his mind was transferred to some other place, far away from the mountains. An old woman with long, white hair wearing a plain dress and a pendant shaped like the sun was standing motionless on the terrace supported by marble columns. Her grey eyes were full of warmth and wisdom learned over years spent solving mysteries. Seeing the traveler she raised both hands in a sign of greeting.

"Greetings Ariana," the man said to the person who was the purpose of his journey.

"Welcome Azureus," The keeper of the temple answered him. She smiled at him and continued the conversation.

"So many months have passed since we last saw each other. How are you?" the long haired man asked out of courtesy.

"Well. The hermit lifestyle doesn't have such a destructive influence on me," the priestess answered him, glad that she was able to open her mouth to someone after all those years. Azureus came up to the woman and then they strolled around the terrace of the building together. A wild bird flew above his head screaming loudly. The man smiled.

"I can see that you became a real man. I remember when you arrived here with Oron. You were such a cute little boy. So much has changed since that time..." Ariana said looking at her unexpected guest.

"That's true. A lot has changed," the black-haired man replied falling into pensive mood.

"Let us come inside. It is much warmer there," offered Ariana. Azureus was surprised because he didn't feel any cold near the stone sanctuary, but he granted the wish of the old woman. They both passed through the triangular gate and entered the interior of the temple. It was enormous; corridors from the main chamber seemed to continue into infinity long inside the mountain's core. Bright discs were hovering everywhere, some lasting in the air perpetually, others appearing just to disappear after a few minutes, and others existing only for fractions of seconds. The woman came to one of them and reached her hand out to its shimmering surface. She closed her eyes, feeling positive energy entering her whole body. Azureus stared at her without any feelings; he didn't want to come closer to the magic phenomenon. The priestess smiled at him.

"What is so important that you decided to return to me Azureus?" The woman asked despite knowing the man's answer. Her intuition never failed her.

"Your examinations. I am convinced of their rightness the same as you, the same as Oron was once..." The man answered not being sure what to say.

"I don't believe that you came here from the distant country, only in order to discuss the magic. Your eyes are betraying you. I know that you want something larger from me, something which for some reason lies heavily on your heart". Ariana wanted to get to know why the man had came to her as soon as possible. Azureus decided not to answer her question.

"Ariana... not knowing what to do with my life I visited the Oracle in the Pylfiders. She showed me that something crucial had happened in your church which can change not only my fate but also the fate of our land. She said the legendary Traveler would appear here..." The priestess got sad when she heard his words. He noticed it and the first signs of annoyance appeared on his face.

"Indeed, I made the most unusual discovery". Ariana announced unwillingly.

"Tell me about it?" Azureus asked clearly showing impatience.

"What are the bright discs to us? We have been trying to figure out for ages. They are holy for the people; they are objects of worship and power. These are secrets which even our most wise mages weren't allowed to explore. Priests of the light are teaching that discs are sources from which divine grace and power are emanating. My order believed in the theory that discs are something natural; they are gates, windows linking the most distant corners of our land, thanks to which we could travel huge distances in the unusually short time and go where no man has gone before." Azureus turned around and clenched his fists. The woman sighted seeing his behavior.

"I know what discs are for me Ariana. You remember that they fascinated me from childhood, and I devoted a lot of time to studying and contemplating them." The man's hand trembled. He clenched his fists again

"Yes, Azureus...".

"However, in spite of many years your order have devoted to study them, you failed to prove the truth about them. What's more no one managed to cross them and lived to tell the tale. For years we have thought that it was a ban put by the Gods preventing man from possessing a huge power which the discs could give to him. What else do you want to add?" Azureus wanted clear and not ambiguous answer.

"I discovered their true nature. A few weeks ago I managed to carry out the charm which I had wove for years. I managed to look into the disc..." Eyes of the man widened from the amazement.

"It turned out that the truth about discs is much more remarkable than we expected in our boldest dreams. During the trance over one of them, after casting a spell on it, I saw inside, and what is on the other side." The woman was excited. The mystery which she had been trying to solve all her life appeared to be unraveled and she was able to tell somebody about it.

"Discs are gates to the different parts of the world; they are gates to other worlds, so fantastic that we wouldn't be able to describe them by words. They are gates in space and time!"

"Your revelations are shocking, but what is their significance for us? We can't go inside these gates, not being ripped to shreds by them." The man asked knowing that the priestess' answer will satisfy him. Ariana broke off for a moment. She thought what to say next. Her intuition told her that something bad was going to happen. After a moment of hesitation, she continued.

"The Oracle told the truth about the Traveler. During my meditations I discovered that in one of the worlds on the other side of the disc... somebody lives... a young woman, who is able to go inside the disc... what's more, she is able to control them." Azureus was struck dumb by the revelation.

"Who is she, that she has such a remarkable power? Can we contact her?"

"Yes... when she is going through discs, she is in the place devoid of time and space. It is a nothingness between worlds, but she doesn't realize the true nature of discs; she isn't able to move beyond her own world," Ariana said less enthusiastically.

"Would you be able to get her to our world?"

"This church is so overwhelmed with the magic, that being in it I am able to control places in which discs are created; times of their opening... if I tried to extend my power to the nothingness between worlds perhaps I could cause the disc of this woman to appear in my church."

"In that case do it! Get her here!" the thrilled long haired man was shouting.

"I would like to do it. She could reveal a lot about the nature of discs, even a short conversation with her would help me find answers to many secrets I have studied. But I don't know whether I should do it. She belongs to the other world; we should not cross borders of the discs. My examinations, action of this temple and the order were banned by the Great Priest and recognized as a sacrilege. If he learnt about what I had told you today, he would send Riders here... And apart from that, the abilities of this girl could be used for evil things... I cannot afford such a risk..."

Ariana wanted to end her reunion with her old friend quickly.

"Are you going to hide behind the teachings of the priests of light now? They weren't an obstacle for you when you built this place among the rocks and clouds!" the warrior yelled.

"The truth about the discs is too great to reveal Azureus! We do not even know how big ... People are not ready for it yet."

"No. It's about you. You aren't ready for changes Ariana! Or maybe you're already too old to a dream of better world like you used to ... like Oron!"

"I understand that you are still full of fire, Azureus, but I will not let you burn all the world with it. The Traveler and everything associated with her is too dangerous to play with and to use it!" Ariana turned her face to one of the discs shining in the dark.

"I am sorry that you came here for nothing. I wish you a safe return to the Tarania. I hope you find the right path for yourself. I cannot help you. Goodbye."

"You will have to take a risk, Ariana." Azureus smiled ominously.

"What do you mean? Your voice sounds strange." The woman became worried.

"If you don't get this girl, you will have a much larger problem than Riders." The priestess sensed that something terrible was going to happen. The man took the sword out of the scabbard. A round blue sapphire shone on its hilt. The woman moved back.

"Did you sell your soul Azureus? I didn't think that you were able to do it." The warrior smiled widely.

"Like I told you before, a lot has changed. I had been following your road once woman, now the Clan of the Night showed me my own. The time of great changes came for me but thanks to your discovery for the entire world also. I'm man of actions not of dreams!"

After a few minutes, men dressed in black chain mail and black capes entered the temple. Everyone was holding swords. After a moment, a bald man holding a cane decorated with a jewel entered the rock church. He was wearing a black tunic and a pendant with a black stone was hanging on his neck. Ariana just smiled and gained confidence.

"You can kill me traitor. But I certainly won't give you the secret which could destroy both you and everyone on your road. Destroy this place with a dark magic emanating from your companion, bury me and years of my research under ton of rocks but you will get nothing from me."

"But I will get everything, Ariana! Rerik!"

Hearing these words the bald man mumbled something. A glowing orb appeared on his stick with displayed image showing the small town. Ariana recognized her young daughter amongst people walking on its streets. The bald man giggled insanely.

"Tazia! No, you monster... what are you going to do? " The priestess was terrified.

"Nothing, if you will get the enchantress here. If not, Rerik will order the Roughriders of the Dragons to drop the crazy wyverns on the city. You know very well what happens when their minds are clouded and there are innocent people around."

Rerik giggled once again. Drops of sweat appeared on his bald scalp.

"Ok, you monster. Have your own way. You will get this girl, but remember that today I cursed you. Remember that after death an eternal agony is awaiting you in the nothingness between worlds."

"The nothingness already stared at my face, woman. I learned to live with it a long time ago."

Ariana sat down by the huge light circle with tears in her eyes and started reciting the spell.

In a completely different place and time, on the Earth, in Salem Center, New York, two young girls who were students of the nearby school called Xavier's Institute spent their free time on the carnival organized in the neighborhood. Kitty Pryde, had curly, brown hair and was wearing white trousers and a green short-sleeved shirt. Her friend from Russia was called Illyana Rasputin. She was a blonde with straight, long hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in brown trousers and black blouse. The girls were mutants, meaning they had special abilities which separated them from the rest of the society just like the rest of their companions from Xavier's school. Kitty was able to phase, that is to go through solid objects, and Illyana was a teleporter but also a person who spent half of her life in the place which can be compared to the hell, under the care of a being which could be a devil. However nobody would guess it by looking at these two normal girls enjoying themselves at the carnival. Friends after a dozen minutes of roaming around amongst the crowd, stopped at the shooting gallery.

"You want to challenge me to a duel, Illyana?" Kitty asked holding the wooden shotgun. The blonde took the weapon out from her hand.

"If you're challenging me, I probably deserve the first try?" She put the weapon on a wooden counter, aimed at the pile of cans and fired. Unfortunately she wasn't lucky and hit nothing. The mechanical laughter sounded from loudspeakers behind the walls. The man standing next to gallery told her something but his voice was attenuated by the noise of street.

"Illyana, you must correct your aim because after the shot the wind is deviating the trajectories of the bullets... look how I'm doing it."

Kitty pointed the toy gun at the pile and fired. She managed to hit the target. The pile collapsed with a loud clank. The person guarding the attraction started saying something to the girls, but they didn't listen to him.

"Well... I've got something more difficult for you. I'm going to hit only one of these cans. If I do it, you'll buy me an ice cream. If not I'll buy you." Illyana offered.

The brown-haired girl accepted the challenge and gave the shotgun back to her friend. The Russian prepared for the shot, this time it took her more time. She shot at the pyramid and managed to do what she had planned. Only one of cans was hit and fell on the floor. The girls started laughing. The employee of the shooting range gave them gifts and invited them for the next game. They decided to go to the café. Passing by the Palace of Fears Kitty gripped her companion's hand. She showed her the colorfully painted wooden building. Red demons leaving the lake of fire above which the inscription 'inferno' was seen were drawn on its walls. Illyana's humor violently deteriorated.

"No," she said quietly and moved ahead. The girls walked beside each other in complete silence. Kitty understood that she had behaved not very appropriately, proposing her friend visit in a place which was a parody of the land in which she had lost her childhood. However she didn't suppose that Illyana would react that way. They stopped on the bridge built above the street. The blonde leaned against the fence and looked straight ahead with a blank eyesight.

"I'm sorry Illyana, I didn't want to irritate you," said Kitty.

"Kitty... you didn't irritate me. It isn't about you... Simply, I'm hacked off at the way in which people make fun of places and beings which took my innocence away and changed me into the person I am now. They are painting caricatures of demons and hells, they are laughing at them, not realizing that some of these monsters can at one time kidnap their tiny daughters and flood their hearts with a darkness from which there is no escape."

The girl's eyes became red.

"I feel like summoning from the Limbo some smaller imp to release him on this carnival.

"Illyana, don't even joke about it".

"I'm not joking. I am who I am and nothing will change it."

Kitty had been silent for a moment. Horns of cars were heard from the distance. The city at the evening was full of impatient drivers.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm mutant; you are also, so is my brother... besides... I'm witch, demon, and devil... lady of infernal armies..."

"You're my good friend..." replied Kitty patting the friend on the back.

"You can forget about everything other..." She added smiling.

"Yes, Kitty?" Saying these words the blonde made a gesture with the hand. A bright disc appeared and both girls vanished in it. After a moment they turned up in the completely different place: Brown rocks and barren soil like on the strange inhospitable planet, black volcanoes growing on the horizon, sky as red as the blood, laughter coming from a distance and the flutter of bat's wings reigned there. It was the place in which Illyana grew up from the small child into the young woman, the place which was her house, which she knew more than her own homeland. Place in which she was a queen. The Russian created the silver sword out of the emptiness.

"It cannot be forgotten Kitty. Over seven years of a fight for life in this hell, learning of the black arcana from the hands of a real demon and things which I did and about which I will never tell neither you nor Piotr. And them, as companions of my childhood..." From behind the Kitty's back, a strange green demon with one eye and thousand of tentacles appeared. The girl instinctively phased and walked away a few steps.

"Leave her alone!" Illyana shouted pointing the sword at the creature. The monster listened to her and disappeared in the darkness.

"Ok Illyana. I know what you mean. And now let us go back to Earth."

"As you wish, Kitty."

The bright disc appeared again and the girls came back to the bridge, exactly at the time when they vanished from it.

"Illyana, I understand what you went through. Therefore I want us to be together and don't want you to think about what happened to you in Limbo. You'll tell me about it, when you're ready. And now... we're going to eat something. I owe you an ice-cream." Kitty took her friend by the hand and dragged her deep into city.

Meanwhile in the stone temple in another world, Ariana fell into the contemplative trance. Azureus and his companions watched her with anxiety. The black-haired man came up to the bald magus.

"And what if she tries to cheat us? What if she casts an offensive spell? I know that she didn't learn such magic, but who knows what happened, when I didn't have a contact her..."

"Be calm. I will sense every offensive spell directed against me. I'm sure that now the priestess is creating the charm of summoning. But so complicated and convoluted... I would need months for seeing through it..." The eyes of the mage were glittering with amazement.

"Unimportant!" Azureus waved the hand and came up to his old friend. At that very moment the disc lighted up with an intense glow. The warrior covered himself with his black cape and the wizard impulsively surrounded himself with the protective shield.

"Now... The girl crossed barriers of the nothingness between worlds. I established contact with her. I can show you her face."

"Do it woman!" The man yelled and pointed his sword at old priestess. Ariana spread her hands and Illyana Rasputin's face appeared in the bright disc. Azureus came closer to the circle and started staring at her blue eyes.

"She is beautiful... how can such a person be in the nothingness between worlds? Get her to us!" The priestess was silent. She was sad and irritated. She wanted to delay the time of using her spell as long as she could. The man lost patience. Drops of sweat were flowing down his cheeks. He put the ice cold sword to the woman's neck.

"Do it!" Ariana remained motionless despite his threats.

"Rerik!" He shouted at his subordinate. The cane kept by the wizard was glowing with a purple shine.

"Well..." replied Ariana. She concentrated on the summoning spell. Tears flowed down her eyes. Her hands were shaking and her breath was becoming faster and more uneven.

On the Earth, Illyana and Kitty were eating ice cream in a small café. Despite the late hour, there was no crowd inside, the only guests were group of young girls talking about something all the time and a couple of old timers wearing shirts with large, white flowers. The interior of the cafe was wooden, potted plants were placed here and there. Jazz music was coming from a radio hidden somewhere in the room. After a day spent in the town two mutant girls were preparing for the return to Xavier's School. Kitty didn't delve farther into the topic of Illyana's stay in Limbo, she told Illyana about her brother, Piotr and the time she spent in his company after she had moved to the school. The humor of the Russian improved, thanks to her friend. She stopped thinking about the past taken away from her by Belasco. The girls rose from the table, and then they headed towards the exit. The blonde stopped.

"I must go to the bathroom. Are you going with me, Kitty?"

"No, I'll wait outside."

"Ok, I'll be back right away".

Illyana went to the back of the café and entered the Ladies room. She locked herself in the first cubicle. She felt that her abilities are activating. A teleportation disc appeared on the floor, although she didn't even intend to summon it. Directed by the force which she wasn't able to oppose she was drawn into its interior. The bright disc dissolved into thin air as soon as the girl disappeared. There was no one in the bathroom who could come to her rescue.

Ariana got up and the disc by which she had cast spells, stopped glowing with the intense light. Azureus came up to her, but she didn't turn around in spite of the sword put to her back. She didn't want to look at the eyes of the friend who had betrayed her.

"It's done. She is already in our world... in this temple..."

The man angrily gripped his sword.

"Where is she! I can't see nobody!"

"She is there," the priestess whispered quietly. She turned around violently and spread her hands out.

"She is in the place where she won't fall into your treacherous hands!" She shouted with all her might. The bright circle appeared from nowhere, cutting Rerik in two pieces. The bloody remains of the man fell down on the floor with a splash. The ending of his cane stopped glowing and a window portraying the village of Ariana's daughter vanished irretrievably.

"You witch! You don't even realize what you did! You won't escape the Clan of the Night!" Azureus screamed raising his sword above his head. The woman started escaping from the temple, skillfully avoiding appearing and disappearing bright discs. After a moment she vanished in darkness, her silhouette merged with dark interior chambers of the temple.

"Go after her! You must find her and the girl she brought here. Azureus' subordinates set off in pursuit of the priestess. The man sheathed his sword.

"And level this place later. Don't let even one stone remain unturned!"

Ariana went along the corridor, plunged in a darkness leading deep into the mountain's interior. There was the smell of mud in the air and water was dripping from the ceiling and walls. Torches stuck to walls of the mountains viscera were the only signposts for travelers inside the mountain. Their strange greenish tint revealed that they were magical. The woman entered a little cave and leaned against its wall to gasp for air. She concentrated and after a few seconds a bright circle appeared in the middle of the cave. One moment later Illyana emerged from it. The girl was horrified and disoriented, because her senses could not adapt to the sudden teleportation into an alien world, into physically different reality. When she saw Ariana, she took a defensive position and tried to summon the Soulsword. She was too weak. She lost consciousness and started to fall down. The priestess caught her, not letting her hit the ground. She swept Illyana's hair aside from her forehead and stroked her face gently.

"Such a young girl... what have I done?"

She put her hand on Illyana's breast and recited the old spell. Her hand lit up with faint glow. The blonde started regaining consciousness. The healing spell had worked so the girl quickly felt better. She broke free from Ariana's grasp and ran to the other side of the cave.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why have you kidnapped me?" The girl was frightened and she wanted to have all answers as soon as possible.

"Calm down... I don't want to hurt you. I want to help you. You are in big danger."

"You answered none of my questions!" Illyana became nervous. A white light accumulated around her hand.

"Please, calm down, child". Ariana tried to come closer to Magik.

"Stay back!" the mutant girl shouted and two magic arrows shot out of her hands. They hit the cave walls making loud noise and scattering dust and small pebbles all around. Illyana's eyes widened from surprise. She remembered that when she wasn't in Limbo, she wasn't able to use the magic she learned from Belasco with such an easiness. She looked at her hands, which hurt from the used charm.

"Where am I? It isn't the Earth! Where did you take me?" Tears appeared in the girl's eyes.

"I didn't kidnap you. I moved you here from your world, I admit it, but I was forced to do it. Please, hear me out. You are threatened by a huge danger. Trust me, please".

"Don't try to come closer. I can defend myself!"

"I won't touch you if you don't want it. However, please, hear me out. My name is Ariana, How are you called, my child?" The priestess tried to calm the girl. She wanted to establish a dialogue with her.

"Illyana Rasputin," the blonde replied quickly. "And now tell me where I am!"

"This is not so simple to explain; you are apart from your reality. We don't have a time for conversations. This place is swarming with warriors who want to kidnap and use you. They will find this room." Magik fell into a pensive mood. She knew that she could not trust the woman, but she could not fight with her since she didn't even know where she was and how to get back home.

"Ok, I believe you. But remember, one false move..." The girl conjured the Soulsword out of nothingness; she pointed its blade at the priestess.

"We must escape from here," Ariana announced. She left the cave. Illyana put the sword away and followed her. The woman turned into the branch of the corridor and went outside, on the cliff. A very cold and unpleasant wind was blowing here. Magik looked around. From the precipice a fantastic view was stretching. Hills covered with forests and meadows, dense mist lying in valleys and clouds rushing on the blue sky. A huge shape glittered; a young dragon went to hunting somewhere in the faraway land.

"You must go through the bright disc with me!" Ariana screamed over the loud wind.

"…and later take us there!" She pointed at the field in the front of the wall of the forest.

"You want me to teleport us there?"

"No matter how you are calling walking through the discs, Illyana".

"Okay, if because of that I'll be able to get back home..." The girl agreed unwillingly.

"One second!" Ariana said and removed the golden locket from her neck. She broke it into a few parts and threw all of them into the chasm. The teleport disc appeared taking both women.

Azureus felt pain in the forehead and then vibrations coming from every corner of the stone temple. He guessed that Ariana had cast the spell, which could stop him and his plans forever.

"My Warriors, we are retreating!" he shouted and the echo reflected his voice from walls of the building. Inside the temple, in a flash of light, hundreds or perhaps even thousands of bright circles opened. The building shook, and then it tumbled down burying warriors of the Clan of the Night beneath its ruins. Only stones and a thick layer of dust rising above them remained from the beautiful temple built ages ago. Azureus escaped death. He looked at the damage his former friend had done with eyes full of hate. He took an oath that he would find Ariana, kill her and get the girl with golden hair from the other world.

The teleportation disc made by Illyana appeared on the meadows bordering with a thick forest. The girl and the priestess were staying amongst tall grass. Ariana was looking at the mountain covered by a mist and noticed clouds of dust spilling from its peak. She realized that nothing had remained of her sanctuary. She prayed that its wreck buried Azureus and other warriors of the Clan of the Night. Illyana touched the shoulder of the woman. She looked at her with angry eyes.

"You're safe now! Take me home!" She ordered her.

"I would like, really… but without the temple and my circles it is impossible. I'm sorry"

"What? Do you want to say that I'm stuck here forever? No, it can't be happening!" The girl was irritated; the Soulword appeared, answering her subconscious order.

"There is one place, where I could try... one which wasn't seized and destroyed by the Great Priest... a long way from here, in the land behind the sea called Falaria. There is a tower built on the biggest disc that ever turned up in our world. Being there, perhaps I would manage to send you back..."

"Perhaps? We're supposed to travel who knows how many kilometers, but you're saying that 'perhaps' you'll send me?"

"You must understand me. Up to today you were only a legend... the person who can travel through discs and live in the emptiness between worlds."

"Nice. But now I'm real and I'm your problem! You are responsible for me, it is you who got me here and it is you who'll send me home!"

Illyana dematerialized her sword and headed in the direction of the forest.

"Don't follow me. I'll come back right away... I must... cool down."

Ariana watching the blonde walking away sat down on the big stone sticking out above grass.

Azureus, wearing a cape, went down a forest path. He was holding in his hand a small statuette which at one time belonged to Ariana. He took a little bottle out from behind his belt. He opened it with an anger. A black smoke which took the form of the tiny man escaped from his flask.

"Fly my messenger! Fly to the cities and announce that I am offering a huge award for the head of the woman to which this idol belonged!" Azureus plunged the figurine in the black smoke.

"I am offering the award for Ariana, keeper of bright discs. I am offering an even bigger award for those who will bring her companion with the golden hair to me, alive and in good health! Azureus from Tarania".

The being from the smoke split into a lot of smaller parts and each of his fragments ran to the other side of the world. The man covered himself with the cape and moved forward.

Kitty alarmed by long absence of her friend returned to the café. She entered the Ladies room. She looked around. There was no one in the room apart from her, but one of the stalls was closed. The girl came up to it.

"Illyana, are you there... Illyana, are you OK?"

Nobody answered her. A moment later Kitty phased through the closed door and became convinced that the cabin had been completely empty. The young mutant girl went outside to look for her friend.

It was already late night in the world to which the young Russian was taken away. Illyana and the woman keeping her company ventured into depths of the forest thicket to hide from the people who were going after them. A semi-darkness and the black shadows of trees moved by a gentle wind surrounded them. The smell of mustiness raised around the rotten trunks of trees and the first sounds of night creatures were heard from a distance. The women had not been talking to each other for quite a long time. Magik could not get rid of her dislike for the person who kidnapped her. She remembered exactly what had happened when as a 7-years -old girl, she had found her way to the dimension ruled by Belasco. She was afraid that she had been imprisoned in a place completely alien to her once again.

"When I return to earth some day, will I be able to find my family and friends alive, or perhaps this time so much time will pass that only a memory remains after them?" She wondered. Ariana was sitting on the stump looking attentively at the girl. Illyana started walking amongst the forest thicket searching for something.

"What's going on? Why are you acting this way? Why don't you want to trust me?" The priestess wanted to calm her down. The girl stopped and turned around very rapidly.

"Let me see. Maybe because you kidnapped me from my own house to a place who knows how distant?"

"You cannot be driven by anger... you will kill yourself quickly..."

"I am not angry at all. Not at all…I'm hiding in a forest from someone who want to kidnap me, who knows why! I'm tired of all the walking!" The girl was irritated.

"Why won't you sit down and rest?"

"I must simply do something in order not to go crazy... and evening will approach, it's getting colder, so the most sensible thing which I can do now is collect wood and make a campfire, right?"

"I will help you." Ariana replied and went to search for dry twigs needed for making a fire. The blonde picked up a few long sticks. She was watching her companion all the time, afraid to ask her a question. Finally she broke the silence. She threw branches at a nearby boulder.

"What did actually happen? Up there?" She asked.

"I was betrayed by an old friend. He struck me in a way I could not have expected."

"Was he the one who forced you to kidnap me?"

"Yes ... I ask for your forgiveness once again."

"Why does he need me? How did he get to know about me? I've never seen this place before!"

The woman was silent for a moment. She did not know how to answer all the girl's questions. She went to the blonde and put hand on her shoulder.

"We will leave this land soon and we will go as far as possible from here. We will fight with them if the need for it arises. But if not ... I do not want you to know too much about this place. It can be dangerous for you. Just know that you were a legend for those who desire you now." The woman returned to look for wood in the bushes. She stopped for a moment once again.

"I had no choice ... They threatened the life of my daughter ..." She announced in a calm voice.

"I am sorry," she added. Illyana heard the word daughter and a wave of sadness and helplessness overwhelmed her. Tears appeared in her blue eyes. At the same time the hatred she had felt for Ariana was replaced by understanding and compassion. She wanted to say something but was unable to open her mouth. She decided to return to her work. After a dozen minutes, pieces of woods placed in one spot were ready to set on fire. Illyana sat down by the priestess.

"Ok, now a fire would be useful to us..."

"You have it in yourself, Illyana. I feel it... Very firmly..."

"What are you talking about? I'm not a smoker. I'm not carrying matches or the cigarette lighter..."

"Smoker? Matches? A cigarette lighter?" Ariana was surprised by strange words.

"Huh... not important... I mean that I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to set these damn twigs on fire!"

"You are full of magical energy Illyana. The spell of the flame should be very simple for you."

"You know what? It isn't... Now I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Your world doesn't have magic?" the priestess was surprised.

"There is no...You know, some people are using it, it is kind of complicated." The mutant girl didn't know how to tell her companion how her world works.

"All right; in that case I will teach you the spell of the flame." Ariana grasped the blonde's hand. She hugged her, and started to train her how to cast a spell.

"Relax. Take a deep breath. Focus your attention on the wood. Think about it; let it fill your mind. Imagine that branches are heating up, that the first spark is turning up on them. Close your eyes if it helps you. Well... now gently lift the hand. Feel the heat of the fire, see its glitter..."

The girl did exactly what the woman told her. She felt that her body was going into a trance, which she couldn't understand. All the pieces of wood were caught by the flame immediately. It was very violent and intense; it ravaged the entire mound of the branches and spread to nearby bushes and trees. Frightened Illyana moved a few steps away. Ariana widened her eyes from surprise. Once again Illyana's abilities have turned out to be greater than she thought.

"What happened? What I did wrong...?" asked the blonde looking at burning trunks of nearby oaks.

"Be calm." Ariana stretched the arm out. She kept magically extinguishing all the flames until only the ones on the mound of the wood stayed intact. Exhausted Illyana fell into arms of the woman.

"I'm tired so terribly... I must rest... sleep..." The priestess hugged her once again. The girl put her head on her knees and fell into deep sleep, losing consciousness. Ariana put the hand on girl's breast whispering words of healing spell.

"Sleep child..." She whispered to her ear.

"I'm sorry." She added stroking her hair.

Illyana woke up very early in the morning. She stretched her back, which hurt her from sleeping on the hard and wet ground. She sat down on a rock covered with moss and started looking all around herself. The forest was flooded by a thick, white mist; rays of the morning sun were penetrating through crowns of trees. Sounds of miscellaneous birds came to the girl's ears. It turned out that Ariana had been on legs for a long time; she walked in the distance searching the forest thicket for herbs and other useful plants. The blonde decided to join her.

"I can see that you already got up, child" the priestess said seeing the girl coming up to her.

"And I'm feeling calm and well rested... It's strange after such a terrible night."

"I am pleased. I already have everything that I need. If you are ready we can start our journey."

"I think that we wasted too much time".

"Going to the north we should reach the route leading to the plains. And, from there we will quickly get to Aranis. It is the only city which has a little port in these areas. Then I will know what chance we have to get to Falaria."

The women were tearing through the thicket until they came to the muddied road. Going along it for several dozen minutes they encountered the exit from the forest. Illyana stopped for a moment stunned by the view stretching before her. Hills covered by green meadows seemed to stretch away to the infinity. The morning mist in valleys gave the place a strange, magical appearance. In the white clouds showered by the sun rays, two big, green shapes were moving; young dragons enjoyed their own company. At the bifurcation of the road a wood signpost stood. The blonde smiled seeing it.

"We approached indications of the civilization! At last!

"Well..." Ariana looked at her companion attentively.

"As soon as we reach some market, I must buy some other clothes for you...yours are too exotic, you cannot be so blatant..."

"Exotic?" Illyana was surprised by an opinion of her companion.

"Exactly... Illyana, tell me what kind of place your world is..."

"It's a large place, but it isn't possible to describe it in one word. Every part of the world is different. We are a technological civilization, machines, computers, the fast transport and television. Apart from that there are many beings in it which have extraordinary abilities."

"It must be a wonderful place."

"Yes, wonderful... with all wars, illness, madmen and perverts..."

"And what do you know about discs? Are they turning up in your world?

"No, they don't appear. Actually I didn't even call them by this name. I have always thought that they are only an addition to my power, the special effect like smoke and sulphur of Nightcrawler... I would never think of them like of a natural phenomenon."

"In your world are you the only one able to create them?"

"Yes."

The road led the women to the cliff. The blonde stopped in order to admire the landscape of the lands which were waiting for her on her journey. She could see the village of wooden houses and farther away the city with the distinct market on which the stone tower stood. A fishing ship with a large white sail was entering the little municipal port. In the distance forests and extensive marsh areas stretched out.

"I wish I had a camera".

"A camera?"

"Forget about this... I would like to keep all these views... they are so beautiful."

"Let us walk away; in your travel you will see even prettier landscapes."

After a short break the women returned to their journey.

A man dressed in black armor and a dark blue cape rode on a horse as black as the night and left the nearby forest. His face was camouflaged, only red eyes stuck out from under folds of materials. A few similarly dressed men left bushes, they kept crossbows. Ariana stopped the blonde with a move of the hand and looked at the stranger. Fear appeared in her eyes.

"Illyana! Escape!" She shouted pushing the girl. The mysterious man was looking at the travelers in silence. He raised his left hand. Warriors who were keeping him company directed crossbows at the two women and fired. Two arrows hit Ariana's leg. The third arrow hit Illyana, but she defended herself creating a fragment of her armour around herself. In her hand, her Soulsword appeared. The girl came up to the injured priestess. She tried to help her to get up. In the same moment the dumb man moved in her direction taking the obsidian sword out of the scabbard. His red eyes met with the eyes of Magik. Illyana protected Ariana from his first blow. The warrior was surprised, that his sword had come across the resistance.

"Escape Illyana! You won't win against him! He is Immortal walking in the Darkness, The murderer for hire who cannot be killed!"

"I'm not going to leave you behind! You're my only ticket to home!"

"You understand nothing! I am already lost! You can still save yourself!"

"Enough chatting!" Illyana shouted attacking the opponent. The man parried her hit with the blade of the obsidian sword. The blonde attacked again and this time she destroyed the piece of his armor. The immortal retreated. He signaled to his people. They fired crossbows at the mutant girl. Only one arrow hit the target, Illyana's arm. The armor protecting it was shattered; Illyana felt sharp, piercing pain. She dropped the sword which dissolved into the nothingness. She fell down on her knees. The masked man approached the priestess. In the same moment the woman recited new spell. The wave of air hit the blonde, pushing her to the edge of the cliff.

"Use your power! And remember! Tower in Falaria! They will help you return home!" The dark rider ordered his steed to hit Ariana with the hoof. At the same moment Magik moved back to the escarpment and fell down a chasm. She used her abilities as fast as she could and teleported herself blindly straight below to the bough of the tree sticking out of the wall of the precipice. She grasped it using one hand only, because her second arm was paralyzed by the pain from the stuck arrow. She dropped the branch and slipped down farther over the surface of the cliff. She was already close to the ground, but in spite of that the fall was very painful. The girl wounded her body and tore her clothes. She cut her forehead; her shirt was becoming saturated with the blood flowing from her arm wound. Great pain turned up at her right leg, she probably broke it. Illyana lost consciousness very quickly.

The immortal, convinced that the girl didn't survive the fall, came back to his first victim. He ordered his two people to take her from the road. Black warriors put her on one of their horses and signed the readiness for the way with had gestures. The entire four galloped in a direction known only to them.

Coming down from a mountain took Azureus the entire night. He had to choose one of the easiest trails because the ones which were shortest were too dangerous for travel after sunset. He found himself in a small valley surrounded by a little coniferous forest. A big tent was spread there and two men dressed in dark armors were guarding its entrance. Seeing Azureus they turned away their head to his side.

"You are coming back alone?" one of them asked.

"Unfortunately yes. I have a very bad tidings for you. Meeting with Ariana ran totally different than I had anticipated. This witch preferred to destroy the temple than help our matter. Nobody survived. Even Rerik..."

Two guards looked at themselves and they lowered heads in silence. With this gesture they wanted to pay tribute to their deceased companions. A young woman emerged from the inside of the tent. She had short, black hair, a dark complexion and beautiful brown eyes. She was dressed in black trousers and a black sleeveless shirt. At the belt she had a dagger with the same sapphire as on the Azureus' sword.

"I can see that you failed to convince my mother to our point of view?" She said looking at the man.

"Unfortunately, she regarded me as the incorporated evil. I wasn't able to reason with her.

"Whether she... whether you had to..." an alarmed girl asked.

"No, she gave me the slip... I regret it very much... she killed my good subordinates..."

Azureus tightened the fist on a sword hilt.

"But I sent an arrest warrant after her; she will fall into our hand soon..."

"I understand." Tazia replied feeling distinct relief that her mother had survived and simultaneously not showing it before Azureus. The black-haired man touched her gently and then led her into the interior of the tent. Semi-darkness prevailed there, some bags lay on the floor. The man removed the cape from his back and he threw it into the corner of the room. He unfastened a belt with the sword.

"The Oracle from Pylfiders wasn't wrong." He announced. The girl eyes widened from surprise.

"What's more, reality turned out to be more remarkable than her prophecy."

"What do you mean?

"A way to control bright discs exists. A way to control the time of opening and closing them... even the travel through worlds which are connected by them is possible... Your mother kidnapped the Traveler girl from her own world. It happened precisely the way it was predicted by the prophecy." Azureus averted his gaze.

"I had her in my reach, but Ariana..." He stopped and closed his eyes kind of feeling great pain.

"She helped her with the escape, who knows where!"

"It is a good sign." Tazia announced. "If my mother knew the prophecy she wouldn't let the Traveler survive but she rescued her instead.

"It seems so... she shouted to me that she would hide the girl from me, that I would never get her.

"If Ariana does not know the prophecy, there is a chance that the Great Priest and the Queen also don't know about it. We will find the girl and everything will go according to our plan." Tazia smiled looking at the dark eyes of her companion.

"We must find her before they learn about her: Queen, Priest," Azureus repeated after the girl. He sat down on ground and added with a quiet voice.

"And before Master Asanar find out about her". He lay down on the floor. He was worn out very much. He turned in the direction of the girl.

"And something else. Your mother will pay the Clan of the Night for what she did tonight. Remember it..." Tazia turned around.

"Yes..." She answered him quietly and then left the tent. She looked at the starry sky tightening her mouth. She wrapped herself in her arms; her face betrayed that she was stopping the flood of tears with an effort. She remembered the day in which she had arrived with Azureus at the place of the Oracle from Pylfiders. The cottage of the blind woman was built deep inside the swamps. Strange plants grew around and stinking mists was rising everywhere. The girl remembered that clearly because of them she was feeling sick and they made her dizzy. The sibyl was sitting at the very centre of the wooden chamber surrounded by her servants. She was wearing a plain dress and a necklace made out of bones of sacrificed animals. Her companions were clothed the same way and had a lot of herbs and flowers in their hair. Tazia remembered how long Azureus had sat beside the old lady and whispered questions into her ears. The woman had told her visions with cracking voice.

"Rules of the light of the lie will end when the one who is opposing it meets the Traveler from the other world. A woman with golden hair attired in the exotic dress who is sailing in the Emptiness between Worlds. Only her power is able to close the well of the light. "

"Where I can find this sort of person? Answer me old woman! Azureus shouted then.

"She is not in this world, but she will be found in circles closed in the stone high above clouds."

"What does it mean?"

He listened to the reply no longer, an older woman fell into the trance and the irritated man vacated the cottage. He looked in Tazia's eyes and announced that he knew what the words of the prophetess meant. And her face become pale because she guessed that the only place above clouds where circles were closed was the church forged in the stone, the house of her mother. And for the first time a thought horrified her that perhaps she did a wrong thing following Azureus.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Illyana was lying on the ground covered with grass and moss. Her hair and shirt were soaked with blood. She regained consciousness for a brief moment. She realized that she was seriously injured and alone in the forest surrounded by the darkness. Strange sounds reached her from a distance, but she wasn't afraid of them. She remembered that when she had been in the Limbo she had heard sounds much more horrifying every day. She tried to move, but great pain in the leg didn't let her do it. She tried to sit down but she was too weak. After a moment she lost consciousness again. The blonde was completely in the hands of fate, because every threat could turn out to be fatal for the wounded and defenseless person in a forest. The girl spent the rest of the night in a half-sleep listening intently to sounds coming from outside world and signals reaching to her mind from her hurt and weak organism. The morning in the valley was very cold; a white fog hovered over meadows everywhere. A squawk of some ugly bird came from among the trees. The girl didn't regain consciousness. The arrow still was stuck in her shoulder, but the fragment of the magic armor which remained intact, caused that bleeding from the wound had been stopped. The life of the girl wasn't in danger because of the blood loss and the Belasco's magic finally did something good for her. Something started rustling in nearby thickets. Three stooped figures emerged from there. They were humanoids with green skin and heads looking like frogs'. They were dressed in leather hip bands and kept wooden spears in their slimy big paws. Creatures came up to the wounded girl cautiously. They started smacking their lips looking at each other and at the blonde. One of them touched Illyana's clothes and the second one gripped her golden hair with his paws.

"What's this? What's this? Human? Strange dress? From a distance?"

"Human, is dying... is wasting the water of the life..."

"Human? Will it be useful?"

"Silver, silver!" One of them squawked showing fragment of the girl's armor.

"I saw it first!" The second frog man protested.

"Mine, mine!" screamed the third one trying to drive away his companions.

The young man with black hair was walking along the footpath leading through the hill. He was wearing brown, leather clothes and had not very impressive sword pinned at the belt. He stopped for a moment listening closely to the sounds coming from a distance. He recognized smacking lips and the primitive speech of green creatures who argued about Illyana.

"Frog-People? So far away from the bogs?" He thought and started looking where the sounds were coming from. He was a guard who lived in the nearby village and whose job was patrolling the areas separating Aranis from the territory of the Frog-People. Every bigger gathering of these beings could mean preparations for an attack on the human settlements and all inhabitants wanted to avoid that possibility. After a moment he noticed that three frog men are clearly gazing at something. He recognized the young, fair-haired woman in the distant shape. He took the sword out of the scabbard and ran through the grassy hillside of the mountain toward the girl very quickly.

"Leave her alone!" He screamed approaching to the monsters. One of them smacked its lips looking at his direction.

"Mine! Not yours! I first found her!"

"Leave the girl alone or else you will be sorry!" The boy said furiously noticing wounds on the body of lying woman. He thought that the frog-people wounded her and he became furious.

"Go away or die by my sword!" He shouted. One of green monsters didn't listen to him. He tried to stab him with his wooden spear. The boy dodged his attack and slashed with the sword. Frog man smacking its lips from the pain fell to the ground. Two remaining looked at the sword leaking with green blood.

"We did nothing!"

"We found her!" They tried to excuse themselves.

"We are escaping!" They added and swinging themselves with each step walked away into thickets. Black-haired kneeled down by the girl. He watched her carefully. He was petrified by a fear when he noticed the black arrow stuck in the girl's shoulder. He knew what it was, because he had already seen corpses of people which were killed by the same arrow once in his life. He remembered how he had been warned against the magic inside it. For a moment he hesitated. The girl wasn't hurt by the frog people, but her clothes were unusually odd. The boy looked above himself at the rock wall rising up before him. He saw broken up branches. Girl with the golden hair really fell from this height? No, it was impossible. She would be dead then. He approached her one more time. Illyana regained consciousness. She looked at him with blue eyes trying to say something. The man sat down by her and raised her head.

"Can you hear me?" He asked.

"Yeah…" The girl whispered.

"Listen, I'll help you to get up... somebody in the village will certainly help you." Saying these words he thought about old Korus. Illyana nodded that she agreed. She gripped the boy firmly; he embraced her around the waist and tried to help her stand up. The blonde howled with the pain. It was a good sign, her new acquaintance thought; at least she had feeling in limbs. The black arrow stuck deep in a wound of the girl touched him, but this time he didn't get scared. Life of the injured one was more important. He took Illyana up in her arms and moved in the direction of the hill. He could see buildings on the other side. The boy decided to go to his friend - old Korus. The old man was regarded as a freak by everyone, the generality of people preferred to give his house a wide berth. People suspected him of witchcraft and evil spells. Agnar - it was the name of Illyana's savior, had met Korus in quite unpleasant circumstances. The group of drunken peasants came up to the house of the old man with the forks and torches with the intention of fighting him off the village. A cow had given birth to the two-headed calf in the farm of one of them and immediately Korus had been suspected of casting a spell on the animal. Young Agnar stood up for the old man and he defended him against people. They had become close friends and the boy knew that he could always turn to him with every problem.

Boy going down the hill recognized old Korus' house standing at the foot of forest. He smiled to himself and planned to tell the good news to the stranger, but he noticed that she had lost consciousness. The cottage of the old man was made of wood. A big, oaken bench was found at the entry and meats of the birds shot by Korus were drying on the nearby fence. Wind was rattling the opened window shutters. Agnar came inside and started looking for his friend. He was nowhere to be found. Agnar put the girl on the bed covered with a green fabric, than he left through the back door to the forest clearing behind the house. A horse tied up to the pole stood there. Korus didn't go to the city, boy thought with a relief. It meant that an old person had been in a clearing behind forest, where he collected his herbs. Very well, he would be carrying some healing weeds. Agnar forced his way through forest grove destroying the fresh woven web. A man with long grey hair and the long beard stood on the other side of the forest clearing covered with the mist and the strange smells. He was wearing plain, grey dress tied with the string. He was leaning over the grass putting purple plants into the bag.

"Korus!" The boy shouted. An old person straightened up and smiled seeing his acquaintance. He waved to him.

"I need your help, Korus!"

"And what do you want?"

"Patrolling the area I found the girl... she is seriously injured. I arrived just in time, because frog-men already got her!"

"Where is she?"

"I brought her to you. I thought that it was a good idea."

"You thought well." An old man patted the boy on the shoulder. They set off together to the wooden cottage. They came inside and Korus immediately found himself at the girl's side. He squatted by her, rested his hands on her forehead. He took her pulse.

"She is very weak. We must act quickly." In the same moment he noticed the black arrow sticking in Illyana's shoulder. His eyes became wide out of fear.

"Bloody hell! Goddammit!" It's bad, very bad! We must get rid of this arrow!

The old-timer broke off the sticking out piece of the arrow; he got hold of arrowhead and pulled it, getting it out of the body of the blonde. The blood poured out from the revived wound to a floor. The fragment of the girl's armor disappeared at the same moment. Korus winked from amazement, but managed to remain calm. He gave Agnar two slices of the arrow soaked with blood.

"Take it! Take my horse and throw them away a long way from here! Throw them into some ravine, into the rapid river! As far from this place as you can!"

"But what with her? Won't you need my help?"

"I will handle a girl! And you go now! It's very important! Do you know to whom this arrow belongs to? To the Immortal dwelling in the Darkness. It's magic, if Immortal doesn't kill his victim he is able to locate him or her even on the second end of the world when he goes after the stuck arrow. He most probably already began his search.

"Okay, I will throw them away to the Ryhell canyon nearby areas of Frog People." The boy put fragments of the arrow to the pouch and left house using back door. He mounted dark horse, and then he galloped in the direction of the hills. Korus sat down at Illyana's side. He was astounded by her dressing for a moment. He took her shirt, shoes and socks off. Taking girl's trousers off, he noticed that her leg was swollen. He guessed that it was broken, probably in a few places. He went to the kitchen to bring the wooden washtub with a water and then to the second room for the basket with different jars. He placed everything on the table by the bed. He soaked some rags in the water and started washing wounds of the girl. Illyana had regained consciousness for the short time. She was too weak to say anything. An old man cleaned the wound after the shot and the gash on the head of the blonde. He opened one of large jars, put a gunk dug out from its inside on all injured body parts of the girl.

"You should be healed". He announced smiling. He took some white powder out of the small jar and sprinkled the face of the blonde. She opened her eyes and looked at his bearded face. She smiled lightly. She was befuddled; she could see everything like through the fog. She realized that pain which she felt in the whole body had decreased its intensity. Korus poured contents of the teapot into the wooden bowl. He raised the head of the girl and put the dish inside her mouth.

"Drink it to the bottom. It is disgusting and tomorrow you will most probably throw up everything, but thanks to that you will regain forces after the blood loss. We will have the more considerable problem with this." He announced pointing at the swollen, broken leg. He removed the leather cape from the armchair and covered the body of the girl with it.

"But I'll also try to do something with it. Wait here and I'll take a walk for some sticks. I'll come back right away." The old man left through the front door of his cottage and started looking for wooded sticks all around. He found them lying opposite to the wooden bench. He took them all and got back home. He got down to immobilizing the broken leg of the girl.

Agnar stopped the horse near the edge of the precipice. He jumped down to the ground, the wind in the canyon blew his hair. He looked into the bottom of the abyss at the clear water flowing there. He took fragments of the arrow out of the pouch and threw them into the churned up waters with all his might. He knew that the river was flowing farther through areas belonging to the frog-people, so he was sure that the magic with which the arrow was saturated will threaten no man. He decided to come back to the Korus' cottage as soon as possible.

The new day began also for members of the Clan of the Night who survived collapse of Ariana's temple. Warriors in front of the tent prepared horses for the return to the civilization. Azureus and Tazia were standing close by. The girl opened the box lying on the wooden cart and took the crossbow out of it.

"I am going to the forest, to shoot something. I am terribly hungry."

"Okay, but come back quickly. After breakfast we must set off for Tarania. If I don't appear on the palace, the Queen may start suspecting something. We don't want it yet."

"I know, don't worry. I'll come back in a minute." After these words black-haired girl disappeared in forest thickets. Anxious horses neighed; birds flew out from nearby bushes. Guards turned their heads in the direction of the road leading to the hill. They noticed riders dressed in black approaching them. They unsheathed their swords. Azureus stopped them with a move of the hand.

"Calm down, I expected them." He smiled.

"But not so quickly!" The man added.

Immortal dwelling in the Darkness with his servants approached the camp. He stopped the horse in the certain distance from Azureus. He signaled to people keeping him company that they could move farther. Four warriors came in the direction of the tent, leaving their leader in a safe distance. Azureus noticed that they were leading the woman. He smiled, but his face quickly clouded over. They had only one woman and it was old Ariana not the girl with a golden hair from other world.

"Immortal Man Walking in the Darkness is handing over this woman." One of men announced pointing hand at the older woman and then at his leader.

"He is waiting for the fair payment." Man extended a hand. Long-haired had the very angry face expression.

"Half of the payment! You didn't perform your task. This woman was supposed to be dead, and I was supposed to get the foreigner with golden hair!"

"Unfortunately, during the attempt to capture the fugitives, a blonde girl fell off the precipice. We are sure that she lost her life." Azureus tightened the hand on his sword.

"In that case you don't get your payment! You didn't perform the task commissioned in my message!" His eyes met with eyes of the man standing farther away. Their reddish color chilled blood in his veins. He calmed down.

"Well. You have the half of the payment." The man pointed at one of his guards and ordered him to come to the box lying on the cart. He opened it. There were some necklaces and objects looking magical inside it.

"These are relics found in the ruins of the guild of mages forgotten a long time ago. They are at your disposal." Warriors took the box from the cart and tied it to one of horses. They moved farther. Azureus came out behind them.

"I don't believe it!" He shouted. The procession stopped and Immortal looked at the long haired man. "I don't believe that she doesn't live! The second part of the payment still can be yours. Track her down and bring her to me. Alive!" The man in the black armor didn't answer him. He signaled to his subordinates to make them remain silent. The group disappeared behind the hill. Azureus turned in the direction of the injured Ariana.

"Can you see how quickly I got you?" The dazed woman cringed. She was silent for a moment and then she got hold of the cape of the man.

"You don't even realize what you did! This girl has an enormous magic inside herself! I could see it in the forest! She learnt how to use the fire spell within seconds and she nearly burnt entire forest! I could see later how she fought with a sword! She created it subconsciously out from the nothingness! She is so powerful, like a volcano of the energy, like uncontrollable hurricane!"

"Excellent! Having her in my dominion I will be able to change everything! I'll be able to defeat the Great Priest and to give the real freedom to the people!"

"You understand nothing! It won't be possible to control such a power. I thought that I would be a guide for her and I will help her through this difficult times, but you spoilt everything... now she is left wounded, lonely, we don't know who will track her down... we don't know what abilities will wake up in her body... you wanted to reshape the world by your image and perhaps you brought it to the end!"

The woman weakened, she fell to the ground. She felt that she was losing consciousness. Azureus violently moved away from her. In the same moment Tazia came back from the grove holding the shot pheasant. Seeing her mother lying at the foot of the man she released the bird from hands. She ran up to her.

"Mum?"

"Tazia! What are you doing here?" Ariana asked her quietly.

"You are not... you are not... Are you with him?" she groaned out.

"I serve his idea." Tazia replied with indifferent voice.

"But why? Why you?"

"Cause I think that it's good for me and for all inhabitants of the Tarania. As you thought when you were in my age." Ariana looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes.

"But unlike you, I decided to act instead of escaping and living as a hermit." An older woman lost consciousness from the multitude of emotions and sustained injuries. Tazia called two guards.

"Carry her into the tent. I will deal with her wounds."

"Delay this order!" Azureus said coldly. Black-haired girl came up to him. She looked at him with her beautiful, brown eyes.

"Let me help her. Remember that I can challenge you when I question your leadership." Azureus relaxed. He didn't want conflict with the girl. Not now, when he needed her. He didn't want to start a fight which would end with the death of one of them.

"Okay, do what she is saying." Soldiers carried an older woman into the tent and Tazia followed them. Her eyes met the Azureus' gaze full of anger.

The girl laid her mother on blankets in the corner of the tent. She removed her dress and spotted arrows sticking in her leg. She broke them and cautiously took them out of wounds. She placed her hand at the small distance from the skin of the woman and closed her eyes. After a moment her hand shone with a white light, a process of healing started. Tazia put her second hand on the mother's head; she started giving her the healing energy. Ariana opened her eyes. She smiled. After a moment she caught the girl by hand and moved it away from her head.

"I am happy that you learnt how to use spells and you have talent for them." She announced seeing wounds closing on her leg.

" However I cannot stand the dagger you are carrying and in whose company you are now." She moved her daughter's hand back to cease the further treatment.

"I'm not finished." replied Tazia.

"I don't need it!"

"I'm only trying to save your life...

"You could think about me before you joined the Clan of the Night. Two betrayals in a few days are too many for one older woman..."

"I'm doing it for myself, for you, for us, for everyone. Why cannot you understand it although you have always thought that the Church of the Light and the Great Priest's teachings were full of lies and injustice?" The older woman closed her eyes.

"It was my private, personal judgment. I didn't want to influence the life of other people, therefore I turned away..."

"Do you think that everyone has the right to live according to own principles?"

"Of course, I have always thought this way."

"In that case you must admit that what I am doing is right, Azureus... we... we want to give to people of our country the possibility of choice."

"No Tazia, your desires are sincere, but the way leading to fulfilling them is evil. It will lead you to your death." Ariana sat down on the bed. She looked her daughter in the eyes. She continued.

"People must be ready to oppose the Church of the Light, it must be slow process, lasting entire generations. It isn't possible to do everything in one night... the attempt of the revolution will lead only to the blood bath and the disaster on the unthinkable scale."

"The human will never grow up to changes. People are stupid. It's necessary to drive them, to show them properly how to approach to the truth, to happiness." Tazia got up.

"And then the one who will do it will behave the same as the Great Priest now". Ariana announced. Tazia's eyes filled with tears.

"How long we have to wait! How many children must suffer! How many must die or become recognized as exiles?"

"I see this is your problem. You still cannot be reconciled with what happened to Ella. You are still keeping this wound." Tazia clenched fists. She averted her gaze from old lady.

"I don't want to see my friends in torment." She said.

"I understand that, darling. But why did you choose Clan of the Night? Why so drastically? Do you know what will happen if Riders catch you with the sapphire dagger? Do you know what will happen if you cross gates of the prison for heretics? Throw this dagger away. Run off with me to some distant place. They aren't killing their prisoners. They have perverts on their services whose pleasure is causing infidels immense pain."

"So that they understand their sins and return to the route to the light" Tazia replied ironically.

"You gave the next argument why my matter is right."

"But why the Clan of the Night? Don't you understand that they don't wish Tarania's citizens to be free? Their victory means replacing ones religious fanatics with the others, but much worse?" Tazia didn't say a word. She closed her eyes. Her mother continued.

"Founders of the Clan of the Night are priests of the Church of the Light who fell into disgraces, but they managed to stay alive. They are full of hate; they want to regain their place in the rows of the Temple. Listen to me, the present High Priest is kind and he is helping the faithful ones who are acting according to principles. Leaders of the Clan of the Night on his place will feel sympathy for nobody, for you also." An older woman stopped talking. She got tired. She put the head on the blanket.

"I cannot let you escape. You must come back with us to Tarania" Tazia announced with cracking voice. She left the tent to get some fresh air. Azureus came in. He looked at the lying old lady. He smiled.

"Demolishing the temple you wanted to give me the final blow and it is I who gave the decisive hit".

"I beg you. Leave Tazia alone. I can go up to your sword... I can assist you with magic, be your own witch, but leave my daughter alone". She looked at the man with watery eyes.

"As you could see, it doesn't depend on me. Tazia joined the Clan of her own free will and nothing is holding her by me. If she is willing to walk away, she will walk away." After these words long-haired smiled ominously, and then he left the tent leaving the priestess alone.

Illyana was submerged in feverish, restless sleep. Her body struggled against wounds she experienced during the fall and her mind tried to oppose the dark magic of the black arrow which poisoned her. The girl was sweaty, she breathed unevenly. Old man Korus was sitting in a corner, in the other side of the room and was looking at her whispering something to himself. Illyana dreamt of strange, dark forest in which she got lost. She tried to find the road, to come back to the path, but in vain. Trees caught her with their boughs which looked like bony fingers. They looked at her with black holes, like with empty eye sockets of skulls of dead men. The girl could hear voices calling her from a distance: Kitty, Piotr, other friends. Mixing, overlapping each other, completely incomprehensible. A pitch-black figure appeared on her path. Its red eyes seemed to drill into the girl. Illyana kneeled down from tiredness and the road under her started breaking apart. The blonde fell into the abyss. She was on a stone desert. A man in the red dress with small horns on the head stood by her. Belasco was pleased that he had found his lost item and nobody would ever take it away from him. Illyana was flooded by darkness embracing everything. She tried to scream but she was speechless.

Creaking of the door stopped contemplations of the old man. Agnar went into a room. He immediately found himself by the bed of the injured of the girl.

"How is she?"

"I dealt with her physical wounds. They should start healing. Her leg sooner or later will knit also. State of her mind is much worse". Old man said putting a pipe to his mouth.

"What do you mean?"

"You found her a bit too late. Darkness from the Immortal's arrow already penetrated to her consciousness. I don't know whether she have enough strength to win the fight against him inside her soul".

"What can we do?"

"We can wait and not much more". Agnar looked at the old man mysteriously.

"Are you sure about it? "

"There is one way. But it's very risky. I can perform the Ritual of Summoning. It will help the girl find the road in the darkness. She won't get rid of it, but perhaps she will learn to control it. There is only one problem - the second awareness which will unite with her mind in order to show her the way is required. It must be strong personality which won't surrender to murmurs of the darkness from the arrow".

"In that case I can try. If it is her only chance..."

"You don't even know what you are trying to do".

"Am I not strong enough for you?" An old man smiled lightly.

"You are, you are. However you must know that danger exists that the darkness will be poured to your person. And apart from that you will become visible for Immortal; even if he is somewhere in the distant land. You can avoid the clash with him in the mind of the girl, in the real world an escape only will remain for you."

"I'm ready. If I can rescue this woman, I'll do it. She is still so young..."

"I knew that you would act this way. I will start preparations for the ritual." Korus slowly got up from a chair and set off to the second room.

Unconscious Illyana plunged into hallucinations. She went through dark forest sweeping branches protruding from everywhere aside from her way. They wounded her skin, they tore her clothes. The girl felt real pain, perhaps it was pain originating in her wounds and the broken leg, perhaps it was the next sign of the effect of the darkness with which the arrow of the Immortal Rider contaminated her. She felt the intense heat; her face was enveloped with beads of sweat. She left dark forest and entered extensive meadow crossed by the ground road. The cold air caused that she had felt better; probably the Korus' medicine started working and her fever subsided. In the distance she saw the tall man, wanderer with a big traveling rucksack. He had red beard and hair tied up in ponytail. Illyana tried to come up to him, to cry out, but in vain.

The body rebelled against her; legs took root in the cold and damp earth. The mysterious man walked away and dark shapes started forming on the road. Immortal striding in the Darkness was sitting on the black motorbike and his eyes were glowing with red, portentous glitter. The floodlight of the motor also dropped the sheaf of the blood-red lighting. When it lightened the face of the blonde, she felt the returning wave of a fever. She lay down on the meadow; she didn't care what would happen with her. A starry sky stretched above her head. The girl noticed the figure of the traveling red bearded man moving on it.

The Azureus' group was traveling across extensive bogs separating the Aranis country from the land inhabited by the Frog-People. Horses were pulling the cart, which wheels got bogged down in a soft ground, with the immense effort. Azureus was sitting on the back of one of them. He was looking straight ahead at the route disappearing in nearby trees silently. His companions were gazing nervously around, listening closely to the sounds of the forest. Tazia and Ariana were sitting on the cart not saying a word to each other. The girl was watching her mother, whose facial expression betrayed that something not very good was happening with her. The priestess was breathing with difficulty, she had closed eyes and beads of sweat flowed down her face. The woman wrapped herself in her clothes like feeling a great chill, in warm and damp place. Azureus ordered to stop horses. He looked at the sky on which birds scared from their hiding places were gliding. He dismounted his riding horse and took the sword out.

"What's going on?" One of his companions asked.

"Something is coming. Something is observing us."

"I had such feeling all the time - eyes and breaths lurking in thickets".

"You are right. But this time they are very close and ready for the attack." Tazia went off the cart. She was carefully watching bushes moved by blasts of wind. Suddenly two spears fell out from the forest. They struck soil frightening horses. Azureus gave signal to the girl. Tazia closed her eyes; she started reciting words of some spell. After a moment the black fog enveloped surroundings, all members of the team were hidden from eyes of the assailants. Ariana observed extraordinary abilities of her daughter with astonishment. Group of frog men ran out of bushes. They were surprised, disorientated by disappearing of their victims. They were smacking their lips to each other, showing each other the blurred route, waving paws. Azureus appeared behind the couple of monsters. He hit with the sword killing both of them with just one blow. The jewel on the sword glistened with dark blue light. The man got into the fight against remaining monstrosities. All were falling down being struck by his weapon. Azureus' companions also joined the clash. The group of frog people was decimated. One of the monsters clambered up the cart. He spotted Ariana sitting on it. The woman was hunched; she didn't notice danger waiting for her. Frog man took the stone knife out from behind the belt with the intention of killing the priestess. The ball of the magical energy hit it in the eye. The creature howled with pain, it prepared for the escape. Tazia put the dagger between his ribs with a fast move. The monster fell to the floor with a hiss. It was the last invader. Azureus sheathed his sword and looked at companions.

"Don't wipe the blood from your weapons. It should scare off the next group which will feel like attacking us." He approached the girl.

"Good work, your abilities are better." Tazia didn't answer him. She was alarmed by the condition of her mother, who seemed not to have contact with the reality. The Ariana's mind was plunged into the darkness which got to her organism together with arrows of the Immortal Rider.

Korus was walking around the room putting yellowed sheet of papers covered with strange symbols on walls. He placed colorful candles on the furniture and chairs. Agnar was calmly waiting for him to finish, he was looking at the girl laying in a bed. The blonde was still unconscious; she seemed to plunge into her illness more and more deeply. She had very pale skin what was strange because of the hyperthermia which consumed the body of her. The old man left the room heading towards the kitchen. Agnar went after him. Strange, penetrating smell which rose from large pots in which some brews were cooked hit him."

"What is it?

"Links. They will help you to calm the mind and to come off from this reality so that you can enter the inner world of the girl. Only when you are united by them I will be able to help you establish the contact. Come on, help me to pour it to those wooden jugs." Agnar did what Korus had asked him for. He carried two jugs to the room in which sick Illyana was sleeping and the old man went to a small room at the other end of the house to look for something. The boy put jugs on the table and sat down on the bed of the girl.

"Who are you? Where did you come from? Why did the Black Rider chase you?" He thought looking at her face. He started feeling dizzy from the smell of the mixture.

"What mysteries will I see when I enter to your mind?" Korus came back with a big, dusty book. He laid it on the table with a loud thud.

"Give one jug to the girl then drink from the second one, grip her hand..." The old person ordered him leafing through the book. Agnar cautiously raised the head of the blonde and gave her liquid. The girl didn't notice what happened to her. The boy realized that her wounds were bleeding again. The old-timer lighted the candles pouring dust from the small pouch on them. Agnar took the other jug, drank from it and then caught the Illyana's hand firmly. He felt dizzy. The world in front of his eyes became blurred. Glimmers of candles seemed to spill out, to grow in his direction, they became colorful and they were changing their shapes. Korus started reading words from the book in a forgotten language, but the boy couldn't see him. He could hear only words reaching to him like through the thick wall. Sparks of candles grew apart from him; they became distant stars shining in the midnight blue sky. The ritual of summoning came to an end. Agnar was in a nightmare of the strange girl.

The boy was standing on the meadow. A dark night sky was stretching above him. The slight wind was shaking his hair. Agnar was surprised at the realism of the world which he experienced. He was looking at his hands not believing what was happening around him. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. A road leading into the unknown was an only structure which he could see. He decided to use it. After a few minutes he reached the strange place. Routes were covered with a stone and huge rock pylons grew out of them. They had windows, hundreds of windows, so the boy thought that they were buildings of some kind. Strange mechanical objects on wheels resembling carriages stood by him. It was quiet and grim everywhere. Agnar guessed that this landscape was familiar to the girl and came from her memories. Who was she and from how remote place she came? He didn't even want to think about it. It was important that he tracked her down and rescued her. It was his mission and he had to focus on it only.

Illyana kneeled before the Dark Rider, she had closed eyes. The black figure leaned over her and dragged the hand to her. The girl didn't care what would happen with her, she didn't feel like fighting for her own freedom. Immortal touched her with a steel glove. His eyes were on a fire with a bloody glitter. Illyana felt a great chill flooding her body. She knew that it was her end. The apathy for everything around reached its peak. Illyana was slowly becoming the servant of the Immortal. Agnar noticed the girl and ran to her side immediately. When he saw the figure of the Black Rider, he hesitated. He stopped not being able to make the footstep. In the same moment the demon sensed the new person who barged into his darkness. He turned in the direction of the boy and looked at him with a fiery eyes. The frightened man didn't know how he was supposed to react. The Dark Man was closer and closer and the boy decided to act. He gazed into the empty eyes of the kneeling girl for the last time and attacked the Rider. Immortal reached into the darkness surrounding him and took the sword as black as the night out of it. He hit the space. Agnar was touched by the stream of dark wind created by the weapon. He fell down on his knees. He thought that everything had been lost and he not only didn't rescue the girl, but also doomed himself to death. A total insensitivity for everything what surrounded him and what was going to happen to him flooded his soul. Eyes of the demon were on fire and his armored hand came near the face of the boy.

In the real world convulsions shook the Agnar's body. Korus had stopped reciting spells from the book for a moment and quickly found himself by the friend. Unnaturally pale skin betrayed that the boy had become the victim of the Immortal's magic.

The dark Rider held the hand on the heart of the boy and filled it with the darkness. Illyana still kneeling down looked at the entire occurring with dull eyesight. Shreds of everything pursued to her awareness. After seeing the empty eyes of the boy and his torturer, in her mind snatches of memories started to appear. The conversation with Kitty and the trip to the funfair, moving to other world, completely foreign to her for the second time in her live, fear that the same fate which she experienced in the Limbo would meet her again, and the truth which turned out to be even worse than her reveries, escape with the strange woman from the large stone building, staying overnight in the forest, words making no sense for her: Falaria, Aranis... attack of the black knight and a great pain. She saw herself lying at the bottom of the canyon, wounded and broken up. She could see face of a young boy who rescued her and carried her to the warm place where her wounds were treated. She could see the same man beside her; he was kneeling under the influence of the demon's magic. She had to do something. The boy saved her life, and now he risked his own in order to get her out of this dark place. She knew about it, she understood every gesture of the boy because she was linked with him by the magic brew and the ritual of summoning. She clenched her fists and felt the energy gathering inside her. She was afraid to continue because she didn't know what spells which Belasco had filled her in the childhood could do to her body. However she had no choice, she had to destroy the magic of the Dark Rider and save Agnar and herself. She reached deeper inside her soul. After a moment a very bright light shone around her hand and sword of souls appeared in it. In Agnar's eyes glitter appeared, they stopped being muddy, they became alive again. The bright illumination appeared around the whole body of the girl. A shining armor formed from it. At the same moment in the Korus' cottage Illyana opened her eyes. In many places of the room shining discs appeared. A few of them cut candles in half. Seeing them Old Korus released the book of spells from the astonishment. Illyana was staying opposite to the Rider, she was looking at him with defiant eyes. She was overfilled with the energy, sure that she would win the fight with the demon. The dark Knight attacked her with the sword because he could not stand the glitter of the girl's armor. Illyana stopped his attack. She attacked him cutting his armor and the spectral body. The demon dissolved into thin air with the roar leaving only a cloud of dust. The girl felt wonderful, the joy and desire of the fight overflowed her mind. Inflicting pain on the apparition pleased her, she regretted that the fight was over, she felt like plunging her sword into the real body of the Immortal. Agnar looked at her with terror. Calming himself took him a longer moment and then he recalled why he had entered the girl's dream in the first place.

"Girl! Listen, you must take me by the hand, we must get out of this place!" Illyana didn't listen to him. She searched for next opponents. Agnar gripped her hand, pulled her close to his body.

"You must go with me. We must get back to the reality!" The blonde didn't answer him, but she let him take her. They went together to the stone road by which the mind of the boy arrived here from real world.

The old man was looking with a terror at discs lightening up inside the room of his homestead. He scrambled his beard not knowing what he was supposed to do. Discs were a religious thing, signs given by God of Light for him like for the other inhabitants of the entire continent. Only priests had the right to be near them, they knew where they were appearing. Anyone who would even try taking their glow for himself would be the worst perpetrator of a sacrilege and would risk the anger of the Priesthood of Light. Who could this strange girl be? She not only spent time with him in the light from the Discs but she also formed them alone! Was she a saint, sent to the Land to test the old man? Or perhaps she was a witch who was using the magic which wasn't allowed for the ordinary men. The old man didn't want to give thought to it. He noticed that the face of the girl had regained colors and her breath became even.

"You made a success Agnar." He thought.

"I am proud of you" He added after a moment whispering these words calmly. He noticed that the condition of the boy had also improved and bright discs disappeared. Perhaps they were only a hallucination evoked by mists of the brew of summoning, nothing more than the play of light created by candles standing everywhere. Korus thought that he must learn far more about the young blonde, but decided that he wouldn't be mentioning Discs to Agnar when he would regain consciousness because it would only cause that boy would become very distrustful of the girl. He left into the second room. In the same moment Agnar woke up. He sat down on the bed and then looked out of the window. He noticed that the day was slowly ending. The ritual of summoning had to last much longer than it seemed to him when he was in the world of nightmares. He wiped the face with the hand. Eyes roasted him from the smoke of candles and the throat hurt him from the magic brew. After a moment of confusion the boy looked at the direction of Illyana. The girl was sleeping calmly like a child. Agnar remembered the entire situation from before a few minutes, he got scared. He got up off the bed much too quickly and he felt dizzy. He leaned against the wall and from a safe distance he gazed at the blonde.

"Who are you? What are you?" He spoke to her with stifled voice. He went to the cottage to look for the old friend and noticed that the door running to the back of a household was opened. He found Korus leaning against coarse wood, smoking a pipe calmly and thinking about something. Seeing Agnar the man took the pipe out of the mouth and smiled.

"You are stronger than I thought, so quickly on legs after the ritual?"

"I... that girl... what is she... she can be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" The old person took the grave facial expression.

"What I saw in her mind... her memories, her world was so alien to me, even in the strangest dreams I couldn't see such places!" Korus associated visions from the mind of the girl with the situation which happened during the ritual. He became worried, but he didn't show that. He came up calmly to the young friend.

"Perhaps she is a traveler from a distance? After all you don't know Lands apart from our island and Tarania. Who knows what fantastic creatures can be outside its borders?"

"I know what I'm saying. These weren't scenes from our world. An apart from that something unusual, very unusual happened. I didn't rescue her from the Immortal's darkness; it is she who rescued me."

"How come?" Old timer was surprised very much.

"When the demon looked at me with eyes as red as the fire, I stood up without the move, I could not even think about a thing. Immortal approached me and he stretched his hand out in the direction of my face".

"Immortal established a contact with you? Bad, very bad..." The boy seemed to be weakening. Apparently he got up too early after completion of the ritual or images which he recalled stunned him.

"She knows the magic; she shattered the apparition of the Rider with her sword..." Agnar leaned against the wooden wall. He felt that he was starting to lose consciousness. The old man helped him to enter the cottage and laid him on the wide armchair. He put the pipe to the mouth and looked through the opened door. He squinted like trying to notice something in the distance.

"What did you get us into Agnar...?" He thought.

The Azureus' group left the inhospitable swamps of frog-people and wandered along road through the widespread plains. The day ran up to the end, the sky turned red from the glow of the setting sun. On the horizon one could see columns of smoke which marked that the Aranis port was closer and closer. Recent events and a mysterious female stranger with a golden hair from other world absorbed Azureus' thoughts. He was silent planning the way to track her down and use her for his own cause. Tazia was sitting by her mother, whose state deteriorated. The older woman was pointing at something with fingers, she was saying incomprehensible sentences and she was trying to recite spells. The girl tried to calm her with the help of different charms, because the healing touch didn't work - darkness of the Immortal probed deep into the awareness of the woman. Tazia decided to turn to the man.

"Ariana isn't well... perhaps we should visit some physician in the village?"

"We don't have time for it." Azureus answered coldly.

"A queen is waiting for me and I am already late. I don't want her to start looking around my person."

"But she may not survive the sea journey. I'm not able to help her."

"No doctor from the village will help her. She was hit by the arrow of the Dark Knight. The huge magic can only remove this spell. Perhaps we should leave her behind here in the wilderness... when the darkness entirely claims her; she will become undead and join the Rider." Tazia finished the conversation, because she knew that her companion hadn't joked. He was ready to leave the woman behind in the middle of the remote place through which they traveled. Black-haired girl didn't want the silence to fall again.

"Azureus... Why did you join the Clan of the Night?" She asked.

"You know why, precisely from the same reason as you".

"Yes, but why do you want to change the world? Why do you want to fix it?"

"My reason is my private matter. I won't be sharing it with you".

"I wanted simply to talk about something..."

"There is no such need. Calm your mother because when her magic gets out of control, we can have grave trouble". The girl sat down beside Ariana and lowered her head. She didn't feel like talking with Azureus further. Hooting of the owl was heard in the distance and the sky assumed the dark blue color. The unpleasant, cold wind was moving dark clouds heralding approaching rain.

Illyana woke up from the deep sleep. The aching leg, the head and the bruised body reminded her that she was still living. She raised her head and saw wooden walls, candles, some old books and bizarre dishes. She tried to sit down. She felt dizzy and sick, so she lay down again. Memories of recent events pursued to her head: kidnapping from her world, older woman, word Falaria, escape from the black knight, arrow piercing the body, the look of the eyes as red as blood and the boy gripping her hand. She could not distinguish real memories from phantoms of the fever and the visions which poisoned her mind when she lay unconscious. She noticed that somebody was watching her. Korus was sitting on a chair and scrambling the long beard.

"Welcome to the world of living, girl. What's your name?"

"Illyana..." The blonde answered with a faint voice.

"I am Korus. My friend Agnar found you injured on the foot of the cliff. He drove away frog-people who had wanted to hurt to you and brought you to me."

"In that case I must thank him..."

"Not now. He helped you in the other way and he is worn out very much now". You must sleep. You must build up your strength so that your leg starts healing".

"Healing?"

"It's broken. I did what I could, but I can't hasten the nature. You are grounded for weeks". The girl associated the pain with her fracture.

"Where am I?"

"In old Korus' house, in the forest near Aranis, one day journey from the village".

"But where exactly..."

"On the island Aranis".

Illyana wanted to ask farther, but she bit her tongue. She didn't know who an elderly man was; she could not reveal what had happened to her, because she didn't know how he would react. She knew nothing about the world in which she was.

"And you Illyana, you aren't from here, right? You aren't from these lands?"

"No. I'm not... I'm traveler..." The girl had to quickly think out some history.

"I must get to... Falaria. I traveled together with my people, but somebody had attacked us. I managed to escape into nearby forests, but I was injured. If not for you I would die there - on the bottom of the abyss."

"Hmm, Very unusual life for such a young person. And can I ask why you are wandering to the faraway land?"

"I... because... I have the message for somebody... I must keep the certain promise". The blonde quickly thought the reply up. She didn't want to talk farther. She was worn out very much and every move caused that a tide of nausea was coming. She wanted to fall asleep and rest. The old man noticed this. He decided to leave the girl alone.

"Sleep. Dream is most important for you now". He left the room. Illyana closed her eyes. She fell asleep listening to the drops of rain which more and more intensively were hitting trees growing behind the window.

The Azureus' group reached the first buildings when the evening rain became the real downpour. Big drops were falling on figures of tired wanderers and horse's hooves were splashing water from muddy puddles all around. There were a few wooden buildings around the route; people who didn't manage to shelter from the rain were coming back to their houses not keeping eyes on travelers. Ariana started behaving restlessly again. She stood on the cart, in spite of her daughter's request to shelter under an umbrella of grey material. She was mumbling something incomprehensible and was looking at the village awaiting danger. In the distance thunderclaps were heard, a lightning cut across the sky. Ariana got scared; she hid her face in her hands. She saw the light in a shutters of one of the houses. She recalled red eyes of the Rider. She got into a panic and started screaming. She jumped down from the cart and ran ahead. People surprised by the woman stood up and looked at her in spite of the heavy rain which was falling down on their heads. Azureus became nervous, he was afraid that their mission could be revealed by bizarre behavior of the old priestess. He dismounted a horse and signaled to his two companions. Tazia found herself by him very quickly.

"Calm her, or else something bad will happen".

"I can't! My healing touch is working no longer! I don't know what I am supposed to do!" The rain wetted girl's as well as her long-haired companion's clothes entirely. Azureus soldiers managed to catch the woman. She screamed and broke free from their hands. A few residents of the village were attracted, interested in entire situation.

"You must use the spell on her!" The man turned to Tazia outshouting the striking thunderbolt.

"I told you that my healing touch didn't work on her!"

"I'm not talking about it. You know other spells".

"Which one?"

"The one capable of putting to sleep". Tazia closed her eyes. She was disgusted by the Azureus' proposal.

"It's an offensive charm applied against monsters and wild animals. How could I..."

"You must. Otherwise I will silence Ariana by the sword".

The girl clenched fists. She felt coldness of the drenched clothes on herself. Azureus rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Tazia. Ariana is a witch. If she starts casting spells we will have a problem". Black-haired girl understood. She came up to her mother who was trying to break free from the soldiers' grasp. She spread the hand out near the priestess' head whispering „ sleep". The woman filled with the magic closed her eyes and fell asleep. She would have fallen down into the mud, if the men hadn't supported her. Azureus turned to the assembled crowd.

"People! Come back to your houses! There is nothing to watch here! This woman is mad! The old witch cast the spell that messed up her mind! We are wandering to Tarania to the Great Priest who will bless her and cure her ill soul! Go away people!"

Villagers returned to their houses.

"Let us move. We should reach the port very shortly".

"No. There is an inn here. We'll rest. We'll eat something, we'll drink and we'll sit for a while at the fire". Tazia said firmly.

"We don't have time for this".

"I don't care! I'm barely standing from the constant journey and casting spells. It's raining, I am drenched. I must rest. I think that your warriors think this way also". Two men smiled to her, but remained silent.

"My soldiers know their duties. We are moving".

"We will rest through the night and we will move early in the morning". Azureus eyed the girl up and down. He was furious at her. He took the sword out of the scabbard.

"You are resisting me?

"Yes". Tazia replied. She clenched the fist collecting remains of the magical energy around her. Man seeing it put his weapon away.

"Well. We are going to stay in the inn. But remember that you have no protection, both you and your mother. And such a place is swarming from degenerates and thugs..." Long-haired moved toward the inn.

"I can defend myself against anybody here". She said. Tazia and remaining group members carrying unconscious Ariana followed him.

There was a heavy crowd inside the „The Fat Pig" inn. Apart from the regular customers, many traveling merchants who found the shelter from the rain were playing in the inn. The majority of tables were filled by people drinking the beer and eating still steaming dishes. A sonorous laughter of three mustachioed peasants entertained by local prostitutes as old as the hills was heard. The fat bartender busied himself among barrels standing in the corner of the room and his equally fat wife distributed alcoholic beverages to the guests. On the second end of the room the drunken bard tried to outshout the crowd with his ballad about heroic deeds of some persons known to nobody. The Azureus' group filled the rather small table located in the corner of the room, right by the burning fireplace. One of the soldiers seated unconscious Ariana on the wooden stool and leaned her against the wall. The fat woman noticed newly arrived guests and immediately came up to them. She leaned over Azureus and looked at his eyes. She was terribly ugly; her face reminded a pig's snout. Perhaps the name of the inn was chosen in the honor of the wife of the owner.

"What do you wish for yourself darling? The woman asked. Azureus looked at her with eyes freezing blood in veins. Fatty moved away.

"Warm food for me and for my companions, two rooms for me and my soldiers and women keeping us company".

"Good. I can bring you the food, darling. You must settle the rest with my hubby". The woman left the man getting through the dirty bearded man sitting by the neighboring table. Tazia approached the fireplace in order to warm herself up by its heat. She was looking at the mother sleeping in the corner as well as at her companions. She had been feeling very miserable since she and Azureus had another conflict. This time it almost had ended with a fight between them. She was very weak and felt dizzy, she wanted to consume something and then get into a bed as soon as possible. Azureus seemed to be in a good health in spite of everything which he had experienced through a few days. She admired him and at the same time he horrified her. Who he really was, what was his past, whether she acted rightly following his road? Some fat person was sitting in the opposite end of the room. He was bald entirely and had the bloated, sweated face. He sipped the beer and he had been looking towards the girl every couple of minutes. The fat woman brought the meat and laid it on the table. Soldiers rushed to the food at once. Azureus looked at Tazia. Black-haired came back to the table immediately and she also got down to the roast. The bald man didn't take the sight away from her. He licked the edge of a tankard of ale with the lecherous smile.

After finishing the feast the Azureus' group went to the upper level of the inn. Soldiers helped to carry Ariana into the room booked by Tazia and came back down in order to get drunk with dwarf's root beer and listen to the ballade about heroic deeds sung by the local minstrel. Azureus disappeared somewhere and the girl decided to go to a bed. She closed the door of booked room and having become convinced that nobody saw her through the windows, she used a spell on herself and her mother. Water evaporated from clothes of both women. Tazia felt weak after casting a spell and she knew that she had to take a nap in order not to fall ill. She lay down fully dressed on one of the beds. She concealed her dagger with sapphire under the pillow. She felt that she was slowly swimming away into world of dreams.

There was already a late night. The majority of guests left the inn. However some of them were too drunk to stay straight, they were sleeping on the tables despite the squeaky shouts of the fat barkeeper's wife. Azureus' soldiers were playing cards with the bearded man and the bard. Sweaty fat person who had observed Tazia earlier rose from his table with an effort. He approached stairs and went upstairs. Going cautiously through the dark corridor he reached rooms occupied by guests. He took the skeleton key out of the pocket and started digging around one of the door using it on the lock. He entered the room. When he looked hard, he noticed sleeping Tazia. The moonlight fell on her beautiful face. The fat person smiled and drops of saliva flowed down his mouth. He took the bag out of the pocket and came up to the girl. Tazia sensed that somebody was leaning over her; she stood up simultaneously reaching for the dagger. In the same moment the bald man pinched red powder from the bag into her eyes. Black-haired girl felt dizzy, wave of heat and weaknesses filled her. She collapsed on the bed. She knew what was happening around her but she couldn't even make a little move. She started losing consciousness. The fat person smiled again. He took trousers off showing dirty genitals. He spread legs of the girl using his oily hands. He tried to take clothes off from her. Suddenly he felt chill on the neck. He turned around calmly. Azureus covered with darkness was standing behind him putting his sword to his throat. Sapphire on the hilt was gleaming in the darkness of the night.

"Leave her alone, you trash! Immediately!" Fat man felt that he started to sweat nervously.

"Get dressed carrion, but slowly". The pervert quickly pulled the trousers up. He ran toward the door. Azureus blocked his way.

"Get lost from here and hide in the deepest hole. If I see your face once again, my steel will meet with your privates."

When the fat person escaped, long-haired man came back to Tazia. He was happy seeing that nothing happened to her. He spotted bag lying on the bed and red powder scattered around. He came up to shutters and opened them widely. He held her tightly and stood up with her by the opened window.

"A fresh air will do you well. Dust causes that senses are rebelling, but the effect is only temporarily. You are safe now". Being convinced that Tazia is still unconscious, he hugged her strongly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Illyana woke up early in the morning. Slight semi-darkness prevailed in her room because the Sun didn't rise up above the horizon. Girl's eyes examined the room and she realized that the book and candles were removed from there. She was feeling much better and her mind wasn't clouded by fever and charms of the Dark Rider. She sat on the bed with an effort, her whole body was aching. She tried to get up, and then searing pain reminded her of her broken leg. Wave of a heat flooded her face, so she had to lie down again. Terrifying thought came to her mind that this time she wouldn't be able to get out of this world completely alien to her. Tears appeared in her eyes. She quickly chased away bad thoughts recalling Ariana's words about the land called Falaria, the place from which she could come back to the Earth. She knew that she had to trust people who had rescued her and ask them for help in getting to Falaria. She noticed a cane lying by the wall and smiled thinking that old man who had looked after her provided her every possible aid. She got up helping herself with the cane. She was very weak and felt dizzy, but she decided to go outside the cramped room. She quickly found herself outside the cottage. A dense mist was covering the surroundings, squawking was heard from nearby forest. Illyana walked a few steps, but the pain in the leg didn't let her go any further. She noticed wide stone sticking out of a grass. She sat down on it and threw away wooden cane. She remembered the meeting with Ariana. The woman had touched her several times and healed her body. She also said that the girl had a huge magic within herself. The blonde recalled how the old woman had taught her how to make a fire; she remembered how she nearly had burnt the entire forest. She had to risk and try to heal her leg. She couldn't wait weeks for her bones to heal by themselves. She put the hand on the the leg and closed her eyes. She started thinking about how much she wanted her wounds to be cured; she imagined her body being repaired. She started emanating with a glow and felt warmly and pleasantly. She smiled to herself. When the heat became much greater, she quickly raised the hand from her body. In astonishment she realized that the pain had been terminated. Wounds on her head healed up, all other scratches also disappeared. She took the bandage from her leg and jumped down from the stone. She noticed with a surprise and joy that her leg was completely healthy. Hearing creaking of the door, she instinctively turned around and met Agnar's eyesight full of an anger.

"Hi, I think I should thank you for saving my life". The girl wanted to start the conversation.

"Who are you?" The boy asked. He came up to her.

"I could see everything what happened here a moment ago. Such a young woman cannot use such a powerful magic, unless she got it differently than through the long-standing learning".

"I am... very good and clever student". The blonde answered quickly.

"I won't walk away from here until I receive explanations from you. Who are you, where are you from? And what did you do in our land when the Dark Rider caught you! And don't tell fibs about the sea expedition, because I already heard about it from Korus. I want the truth".

"Truth... I must get to Falaria as soon as possible. If you'll show me the way – I'll walk away, you won't see me ever again... I promise." The girl tried to reason with him.

"I won't let you walk away until I learn the truth. Where are you from and what these stone buildings which I saw in your nightmare are! What exactly happened when the Immortal tried to affect me? Tell me the truth!" Agnar was really stubborn.

"If I tell you the truth, you won't believe me..."

"In that case I know the reply. You're a witch using black magic, otherwise you wouldn't be afraid of explanations!" Agnar took the sword out of the scabbard. He moved in the direction of the girl.

"This is not true!" Illyana tried to say something to him, but she knew that her words couldn't reach him. The boy attacked her with the sword. The blonde subconsciously summoned her weapon from the nothingness. She parried his hits.

"I'll kill you before you poison my mind witch!"

"I'm not going to do anything like that! I don't even know where I am!"

"Enough lies, witch!"

Illyana stopped boy's attacks with an effort. She was weakened by the spell which she had to use on herself a few minutes earlier.

"What are you two doing?" The voice of the old Korus sounded. The girl and Agnar looked in the direction of the hill. They noticed the old man running after the grassy hillside. He had blown hair and beard, herbs gathered on the meadows were spilling out from his bag. He came up to the young people.

"I can't leave you even for a moment! You're trying killing each other!" She asked disgusted with the situation.

"Korus! I rescued the witch! I must cut her throat before she casts a spell on us!"

"I don't intend to cast anything on you! I only want to continue my travel!"

"I could see how this witch healed her leg, Korus! With dark magic!"

"Put these swords away! Both of you" Bearded man shouted the loudest he could.

Agnar sheathed his sword unwillingly. He turned away from the girl. Illyana became relaxed and her silver sword dissolved into thin air. Korus touched the shoulder of the girl with his bony hand. He looked at the young friend.

"We will go to the breakfast and our guest will certainly tell us the whole truth about herself". He blinked at the blonde.

Wooden room smelled of wet wood and meat of a rabbit being cooked in the kitchen. In spite of the fine weather outside, semi-darkness prevailed there, because thick veils didn't let the light get inside. The space was filled with singing of various forest birds. Illyana was sitting on the wooden stool and was looking around nervously. Recent events tired her out extremely. The girl knew that if she wasn't prepared for extraordinary events by years she spent in the Limbo at the Belasco and his demons' side she would collapse mentally a long time ago. Agnar was sitting in the second end of the room. He was furious at the old man, because he didn't throw the blonde out and he had to spend time with her beneath the same roof. He was afraid of her abilities and of what he had seen in the vision, he hated her, because she caused that he became the target of the Immortal Rider. Korus left the kitchen with a pot full of the cooked goulash. He laid it gently on the table and then he came back for three wooden spoons. The girl slowly moved her hand in the food's direction. The old person smiled to her and sat at the table.

"Eat, it's very good. Fresh". He plunged the spoon in the goulash looking at the blonde. Agnar didn't move. He gazed at Illyana with a disgust.

"Come here! Or else we will eat everything!" The old man encouraged him to eat.

"I'm not hungry". I wound go away from here a long time ago, if I hadn't to protect you Korus." The boy replied coldly and turned to the wall.

"Suit yourself! It will be more for us." Korus announced blinking at Illyana. He waited until the girl finished the food and decided to start the conversation.

"If you aren't hungry anymore, tell me who you are, what are you doing here and where are you traveling to. But you must tell the whole truth otherwise I'll not be able to help you".

"I'll try, but I don't know what is happening around me. I don't understand why I was kidnapped to this place".

"Did they kidnap you?" The old man asked.

"I came from other... very remote place. You've never been there certainly and you've never heard about it".

"It would explain your strange clothing." The old man replied smiling.

"A few days ago I lived in my city and suddenly I found myself here, I don't know why. I appeared there". The girl pointed at a distant mountain rising outside the window.

"It was horrible... some woman in a white dress called Ariana kidnapped me claiming that she had no choice. Then everything started worsening rapidly." Tears appeared in Illyana's eyes.

"I was in a strange place, I had to escape with that woman and some strange people I've never met before tried to kill me. I fell off the rock, broke my leg..." The blonde started crying.

"Then illness came and I had strange dream in which I could see this horrifying monster with red eyes". Illyana was crying. Korus came up to her and rested his hands on her shoulder.

"You live and it is the most important, girl. You should thank gods for such an act of grace". Illyana wanted to shout her anxieties, she wanted to cry that she would never get back home again, pour out her troubles but she couldn't. She didn't want to betray who she really was and what abilities she had. She didn't have a clue how the man would react hearing this information. She lowered her head sobbing uncontrollably. The old person hugged her. The boy quickly came up to her. He looked angrily at her watery eyes.

"You won't beguile me with your tears witch! If indeed you're such an innocent victim, how will you explain what you did in the vision! What kind of weapon your sword is! Why can you use such powerful charms? In your age it shouldn't be possible... unless, you are a witch!"

"Agnar! Calm down! Can't you see that this child is horrified?" The old person rose defending the girl against the anger of his friend.

"I can defend myself!" Illyana stopped the old man and stood up opposite the boy. She wiped tears from eyes; she knew that she must be strong. She thought that the magic was something natural in this world and therefore she didn't have difficulty in thinking the harmless lie up.

"The sword is a present from my teacher. I'll give it to nobody; I cannot because it's a part of me now. Korus listened to the monologue of the girl with a great interest.

"It's called the Sword of Souls and I can summon it if something is threatening me. The same can be said about the armor. My teacher cared for me very much; he knew that one day something bad could happen to me". Agnar looked at the face of the blonde with stern eyesight.

"If you're an apprentice of the magic how did you managed to cure yourself so quickly today's morning?"

"I don't have a clue! It was a surprise for me too! Perhaps this realm influences me in some kind of way? Perhaps Ariana - woman who kidnapped me did something to my body? I don't know what is happening to be!" Agnar closed his eyes. He clenched fists.

"You really want to walk away from here as soon as possible?" He asked.

"Yes! Ariana told me I must get to the place called Falaria. There is somebody who'll help me come back to my world! At the moment it's mine biggest and the only dream. I don't care what is happening here and I don't intend to harm you. Let me walk away from here and you won't see me anymore! I promise!" The boy turned away and leaned against the wall.

"Ok. Get out of here. I won't stop you. You'll become a problem of somebody else, but it no longer concerns me". Illyana looked at him harshly. She regained her self-confidence.

"I meant it from the beginning". Korus approached the girl being overjoyed.

"He understood in the end. It is the most important. Now we must help you to prepare for the travel". He touched the torn shirt of the girl.

"But you cannot travel dressed this way. I'll find something appropriate for you". The old guy touched the blonde and led her out to the neighboring room.

Surroundings of the "The Fat Pig" inn were awaking from the night's rest. There was no living soul in the immediate vicinity of the tavern apart from some drunken bearded man sleeping in the roadside ditch. Barking of the dog and sounds of some difficult to identify animal were coming somewhere from a distance. Tazia came out of the inn very early. She didn't remember what had happened to her in the last night, her head was aching and she was feeling very weak. She thought that morning air would clean her head and make her feel better. She sat down on a wooden bench, put her head on the table and covered her face with hands. She tried to remind herself what had happened a few hours earlier, but every thought about it caused that pain grew worse. The girl was fed up with the expedition of Azureus; she wanted to be on the main continent again and rest. Anxieties turned up in her mind and feeling that she didn't do the right thing following the long haired man, but she knew that there was no retreat. She slowly rose from the bench and started going toward the road. She felt dizzy and cold in spite of warm air temperature. She heard someone's steps, so she turned around instinctively. She spotted Azureus staying opposite to her. He was wearing bright uniform with a symbol of the golden eagle on the torso. He had sword with carved sun attached to the belt and white cape was fluttering on his back.

"I can see that you are awakened. That's okay; we must set off for the port right away."

"Today you're a knight of the light, servant of the Queen..." The girl whispered.

"Yes, the galleon is waiting for us in the dock, our absence from Tarania must come to an end or else suspicions will appear. You must change too. You mustn't wear black in the city."

"I know." Tazia replied. She felt dizzy once again.

"What is happening to you?"

"I don't know, I've been feeling bad since I got up. I have a terrible headache." Azureus was worried. He remembered what had happened at night.

"Did you try to use the charm of the treatment on yourself?"

"It's not doing any good... I have emptiness in the head. I don't know what I did in the evening and at the night."

"Perhaps frequent use of the magic wore you out?"

"It's the first time I'm feeling bad this way... I don't know what causes it."

"Change your clothes and then rest. I'll wake my people up and order them to take care of your mother. And I promise that she won't be harmed."

"Thank you..." Black-haired girl replied and headed for the inn. She wasn't worrying about her mother, because she knew that Azureus was honorable and he wasn't going to break the given word.

The long haired man turned around. He noticed that some fat man was hiding behind the inn. He went up closer and worked out that it was the same pervert who tried to rape the girl in the night. He ran in his direction. Sweaty bald man didn't have a chance for the escape. Azureus threw him against the wall. He leaned over him.

"She's ill... because of you rubbish! You will pay me for it!"

"I didn't know! I swear! I didn't know! I swear! I didn't know that you were from Tarania, I would never dare!" Man was terrified. Sweat flooded his chubby face. He looked at the eagle on Azureus uniform with a fear.

"I'll atone for my sin! I swear! Tomorrow I'll go on the pilgrimage to the Temple and I'll make an offering of gifts, but show me a mercy!" Azureus fell into anger hearing words about the temple. He kicked the fat person between ribs with all his might. He caught his head and hit it against the wall. A crack of the broken nose was heard.

"If her condition deteriorates, I will find you and everyone who have any meaning for you. I will decapitate them, do you understand? Even if they are old men or newborns!" The fat person hid the face behind his hands; he wasn't able to say a single word. Azureus walked away from him feeling distinct satisfaction.

Illyana changed into clothes which old Korus prepared for her - green short-sleeved shirt from some fabric, trousers of the same material and the leather shoes. She examined the backpack which aged man also left for her. She put her own clothes on the bed; she thought that perhaps she would come back for them later. Meanwhile Korus and Agnar were sitting on the other side of the cottage in Korus' favorite forest

"We finally got rid of this witch bringing us bad luck." The boy was satisfied from the development of the situation. The old man corrected his beard. He looked at the friend like being afraid of the next sentence which he was supposed to say in a minute."

"Indeed... I will soon stop being pleased by her company, but you dear Agnar… you will have the pleasure to spend much longer time with her." He smiled widely. Agnar clenched fists.

"What?"

"You will set off on the travel to Falaria with her. I already prepared the horse and all other needed thing for you."

"Did you lose your senses? She had to cast a spell on you!"

"Calm down. My senses are the same good as before weeks. Don't worry about the state of my mind; I assure you that everything is all right with me. Sit down and I will explain you the situation." The boy unwillingly granted the Korus' request. He knew that he was going to refuse.

"Firstly: Her extraordinary abilities and the story which she introduced to us are implying that she can be somebody exceptional for this world. She said she had appeared on the top of a mountain and it means that she had to be in the church of bright discs. Don't you think that she could be Walking through Discs, saint about whom our legends tell?"

"These are only stories Korus."

"Perhaps, but there must be some truth in them. You don't want to risk the fact that she really was holy one and you refused to her help?" Agnar was thinking. He remembered how the girl dispelled the dark apparition of the Rider with an ease, how quickly she cured herself.

"Think that she is lost, completely alone, she doesn't know the place in which she is. Do you know how many people will want to hurt her? How many want to exploit her extraordinary abilities? Starting with the ones who kidnapped her for the reasons unknown to us. Do you know what damage her power can cause in inappropriate hands? She must have a guide who will show her what is good and what is bad in our lands. Secondly she is a young woman. She appeared on your road, so you should protect her and help her. Didn't you take such an oath as the guard?" Agnar listened to the story not interrupting his friend.

"The last matter... concerns you. You were selected by the Immortal; you looked into the blood-red of his eyes. Do you know how many days will pass until he arrives and attaches you to his procession? You don't have a chance in the clash with him individually. However you could see how Illyana destroyed his specter. The place in which you can be safest is by her side. In this way you can help each other and you perhaps will learn what her mission in our lands is." Agnar didn't protest. He looked straight ahead thinking about everything what happened from the moment he found the wounded girl at the bottom of the ravine and defended her against the group of frog people. The old man waited his reply with anxiety. Illyana appeared on the clearing.

"I'm ready to go. I came to say goodbye to you and one more time thank you for saving my life." Agnar passed by her without a word, he stopped and then turned away.

"We must move as soon as possible. It'll be good if we manage to reach the village before the dusk." The girl was surprised and the bearded man was pleased very much.

"I'm going with you. Somebody must protect everyone who'll meet you on the road. I'm going to prepare horses for us." The boy disappeared in the door of the cottage. He turned up at them again after a moment.

"But remember don't come close to me. I'm able to take the sword out of the scabbard really quickly".

The Azureus' group arrived at the little port. The majority of houses in these surroundings were wooden, only a few buildings were made out of stone. They resembled round towers and they belonged to richest residents of the small town. There was quite early in a morning and therefore the port road wasn't very crowded. In spite of it, larger and smaller groups of the local population, municipal guards and merchants arrived from other lands, (mainly from the overseas Tarania) were strolling along paved streets. Town's marketplace was placed in the nearest vicinity, conversations and shouts of persons who decided to open their businesses in the morning were coming from it. Azureus' companions were dressed in the same uniforms as their leader and Tazia was wearing bright clothes made from white fabric. Her mother walked besides her muttering something under her breath. Tazia felt much better than in the morning, but she was still weakened and was feeling dizzy. She was very pale. Azureus has looked at her every couple of minutes checking the state of her health. An enormous galleon beside which all other ships looked like small toys was floating in the dock. Huge sails on which symbol of the golden eagle was painted, were being spread in the preparations for the travel. A few local peasants, employees of the port and merchants were gathered together in vicinity in order to admire the grandeur of the royal ship of the state in which the church most important for them was located. The man with white goatee beard met with Azureus.

"My lord! I can see that your journey came off well, my lord!"

"My companions are worn out. We must be on a board of the ship as soon as possible."

"My lord! But of course sir, we're ready to go."

"This woman became the victim of the charm cast by an evil witch. She needs isolation; find a cabin appropriate for her."

"My lord! As you wish." The bearded man bowed before Azureus. Gathered people looked with an admiration and an interest at knights of the Queen being so close to them. They whispered something to themselves probably trying to set the reason for their arriving in such a small merchant port. The group was very close to the ship. Bearded man looked first at Tazia, then at Azureus.

"My lord! Can I get to know objective of your mission, my lord?"

"It is a matter only between me and the queen. Don't push nose into not your business."

"My lord! But of course, my lord!" The man bowed before long-haired knight several times.

Illyana and Agnar were traveling across extensive plains of the Aranis Island covered with a sea of green grass whipped by the warm wind blowing from the side of the hills. The sky was clear apart from one cloud as white as swan's leathers. Squawking of some animal was heard somewhere in the distance. Probably the dragon living in the mountains went on a hunt. The travel raised the girl's spirit, she stopped thinking about her situation. She admired the nature instead and was pleased by the ride on the young, brown horse. She didn't say a word to Agnar during the entire trip and the boy tried to keep a big distance from her. Consecutive hours were spent in a complete silence. Traveling companions passed meadows covered with pink-white flowers, they crossed streams and mountain's rivers with the crystal-clear water and wandered through dark, humid forests full of impressive coniferous trees. The girl counted only three indications of the civilization in the entire neighborhood - vacated watermill which merged with the nearby grove, stone mounds being probably measuring points for authors of maps and roadside chapels with the symbol of the sun. Illyana felt like asking about everything she was interested in, but one look at Agnar and his face strip her out of the enthusiasm.

The galleon of the Tarania's knighthood set sail as soon as the Azureus' group was on its deck. Two companions of the long-haired man merged with the rest of the crew members. Azureus went to the captain's cabin and closed himself there, because he didn't already feel like listening to the bearded man who had dogged him through the entire last hour. Tazia was standing aboard looking at sea waves butting against a ship's hull. She still wasn't sound in a body, but she tried not to think about it. Two sailors passed by her smiling to her, but the girl chased them away quickly. She noticed the bearded man squirming close by. She called him by a move of the hand.

"My Lady! What do you wish for yourself, my lady?" The man asked.

"I want go to the lower deck and see where Ariana is being kept."

"My Lady... Azureus forbad all contacts with this woman. Supposedly the curse can go on others, my lady."

"I was with her all the time during my travels and besides I don't think that Azureus ban concerned my person, right? Or perhaps I have to go ask him personally?"

"My lady, there is no such need, my lady. I'll lead you there my lady, into the cabin of this poor wretch, my lady…" Bearded man led Tazia a few levels down to the lower deck. The girl stepped cautiously on wooden stairs listening to a creaking of wood, the noise of the sea and laughter of the crew coming from other rooms of the ship. She didn't like this place; she associated it with the cage from which there was no escape. In her thoughts she compared her situation of joining to the Clan of the Night to the situation of the shipwrecked person on the high sea, without the possibility of the rescue. Bearded man came up to the wooden door and moved the bolt away. Tazia looked by small opening. She saw her mother sitting on the floor, drawing something with nails on the cabin's wall.

"Open the door." She ordered.

"My lady, but we should not... my lady."

"Open the door, Azureus won't learn about it, I promise."

"My lady, as you wish my lady..." The man put a key into the padlock and after a moment the door opened with annoying creaking sound. Black-haired girl quickly came up to the mother. She touched her hand wounded by the gnarled wall.

"Mum, I'm here. Do you recognize me?" The older woman slowly turned her head. She stopped scraping bizarre patterns. Tazia smiled.

"Child of light? Child of night? Child of light? Child of night?" The woman mumbled looking at her daughter with a terror.

"What's going on?" Tazia asked knowing that her mother entirely went out of her mind.

"Child of light? Child of night? Child of night? of night, of night, of night?" Ariana moved apart from the girl. She extended an arm.

"Child of night! Sapphire! Sapphire! Sapphire!" The woman tried to scratch black-haired girl who instinctively moved back. The bearded man removed her from the cabin very quickly, and then he slammed the door and closed Ariana inside.

"Sapphire! Sword from Saphire! At night!" The woman screamed as crazy.

Tazia ran in the direction of the rack leading to higher decks with tears in her eyes. The man clutched himself by the beard. He looked at the cell from which screams came and then at the black-haired girl.

"My lady, I advised you not to look here..." Meanwhile Ariana calmed down. She sat down in the middle of the cabin and started reciting something under the nose.

"To stifle darkness, to muffle... to get the child to the light." She spoke with a cracking voice. The darkness spreading like a stain of ink appeared in her eyes. A tiny black cloud appeared on the clear sky stretching out over the sea.

Ilyana and Agnar stopped by a little stream. Their horses were tired out and thirsty and they also needed a moment of peace. The girl found a big, flat stone lying close to the river and sat down on its surface. Her companion tied horses a few steps farther. Silence prevailed between them which started to irritate the girl. Agnar sat down on the grass. He looked at Illyana and asked unsteadily.

"Listen, tell me..." He ended up in half a sentence. The blonde got up, stretched her arms and came closer to him. It pleased her that the boy had finally decided to break the silence.

"Yes, what do you want to know?" She asked politely.

"What were these things which I could see in your dream?"

"What specifically?"

"Well, these stone blocks stretching out over the horizon, these strange vehicles moving on the streets..."

"These are our houses... not all of them, the biggest ones are most often places in which we work. The vehicles are cars, some of us are traveling in them in our cities..."

"Are they magical?" The boy asked.

"No, these are machines. They can seem unusual and very complicated to you but these are only machines and has nothing portentous in them." The girl relaxed. Agnar threw the pebble into the water.

"The magic must be powerful in the place from which you came..."

"No... We hardly know any magic. Only few of us are able to use it and the majority even doesn't believe in it." Illyana picked other pebble up and threw it to the river.

"Maybe it's the reason why you're so powerful here..." Illyana came closer the boy. She corrected her hair.

"Do you think so?" She was interested in his opinion.

"If in your land there's almost no magic but you in spite of that are taught to use it, think what happens when you're in a world which is filled with it. Think that you suddenly discovered the endless water source. You're drawing more and more water and you can't see the end. Perhaps the same is with you. You're trying to reach deep inside yourself for the magic, because you are taught that it's very hard to summon it and you aren't able to control it well when it's flowing inside you in streams. You're accustomed to drops of magic but instead you get waterfall here. You are drowning in its deeps." The boy picked up bigger stone and hurled it into the river.

"What you're saying makes sense... perhaps this is the case."

"You must now learn to control the new, huge source."

"I'll try, but I hope that you won't be threatening me with the sword?"

"Only if you don't throw fireballs at me." Agnar smiled to Illyana first time. The girl kicked a few smaller pebbles.

"This place seems pleasant to me. What would you say if we stop here for a moment?" She asked.

"If you aren't in hurry... it suits me."

"I must rest a bit longer besides we should consume something."

"I'll check what Korus prepared for us."

"I'll go to look for some branches, we'll light a bonfire."

"Don't walk away too far. We aren't by the bogs, but frog-people can prowl in these surroundings also."

"Frog-People?" The blonde girl winced.

"Ah so... after all you were unconscious when you met them for the first time. I must tell you far more about these surroundings. Do you want?"

"Okay, but at the bonfire. I'm going to the forest and I promise that I'll look out for this frog-people." Illyana answered the boy with a smile.

Korus was restlessly inspecting contents of his kitchen furniture. He moved his fingers over large jars seeing strange preparations plunged in them. Frog eyes, little paws of chicken, penises of bulls and strange thorny fruits passed in front of his eyes. In the end of his search he found two big jars: there was crystalline gleaming sand in one of them and the second one contained some chopped plants. He entered the main room of his cottage. On the floor and on all of the furniture open books which he had used earlier in order to help the girl to wake up from the dream were lying. The old man opened the large jar with a sand and strewed it around forming a circle around one of the books. Next he emptied contents of the second container everywhere in the room: on the floor, on the furniture and the table, on chairs. He sat down with the book and started reading aloud from it in completely incomprehensible language. He caught half emptied jar with a crystal glass sand and he threw it against the wall with an impetus. The dish broke flooding the bearded man with bright grains. The rider attired in black with helpers keeping him company appeared on the hill above the cottage. The rider pointed his finger at Korus' house. Immortal found what he had sought.

Tazia ran into the captain's cabin. She stood up opposite to Azureus who was sitting in a wooden, decorated armchair by the wide bench on which books and yellowed maps were lying. A bald man dressed in a blue shirt with the golden eagle on the back was standing at the window. In the hand he was holding the pipe, he was looking out of the window at the sea. He was a captain of the vessel, but in Azureus presence he had to give him the plenitude of the power over his ship. The girl looked around. The room was exceptionally nice. Its walls were decorated with pennants presenting the symbol of the eagle as well as wooden sculptures which were probably souvenirs from long journeys of the captain. Tazia's eyes stopped on their faces twisted in a strange grimace. A candelabrum decorated with the image of buxom sea sirens was hanging at the ceiling and an expensive, soft carpet imported from distant Gannatia lands was lying on the floor. Azureus seeing the girl sat more comfortably in the armchair. Glitter of the burning candle on the table granted him the portentous appearance.

"I must talk with you! Immediately." Tazia said.

"What are you waiting for?"

"I must talk with you in private." Hearing these words the bald sailor looked at the girl and left the room closing the door behind himself.

"You can start... does it concern your health?" Azureus asked her.

"No. I'm feeling better. The rest did me well."

"It's good." The man replied quietly.

"I'm concerned about Ariana! My mother! It's really bad with her! She went entirely crazy!" The girl shouted out.

"She touched the Darkness of the Rider. It is natural that he clouded her mind. You know about his influence on people very well, even on powerful magicians" The man announced quietly.

"I know about it, but I also know very well who I have to blame for this!" Azureus corrected his hair.

"So?"

"Don't try to fool me! You sent mercenaries after her! You wished her death, since she entered your road and she didn't give you what you had wanted!" The girl was irritated very much.

"You lied to me Azureus! You promised new, better world and the end of the old lies... Is it supposed to look this way? Death for everyone who won't be satisfied with your ways? Even for an old, innocent woman?" The man was silent.

"I don't want such a world! The girl took out the dagger with sapphire from clothes and she stuck it in the table before Azureus. Long-haired shook it out of wood. He got up and looked deep in the Tazia's eyes.

"Innocent? This woman murdered my people in a cold blood. My private sorcerer was one of them, one of the few about whom the Great Priest didn't know... she destroyed the magic place in which the connection with other worlds existed... and why? Since she didn't want changes, she didn't want a prophecy to come true! The fact that somebody can finally fulfill her old dreams horrified her! She got the person about whom legends tell from me... I am also not satisfied with what happened to Ariana, she was my friend long time ago. I didn't want it for her, really. But you will admit that insanity is too small penalty for somebody guilty of the death of so many people!"

Tazia was silent. Tears were flowing down across her cheek. She was shaking.

"It's outgrowing me, it's so difficult... I don't know if I can go... I don't know if I manage to follow such a difficult path farther. I'm too weak to do it." Azureus put the dagger to her hand.

"You'll get by. You must manage… You are really strong although you don't realize it. You are strong because otherwise you wouldn't turn to me. You are strong, because otherwise I wouldn't choose you as the person who I can trust. You are strong because you still live and you have strength to go farther. And it is worthwhile to go farther, because the award which is waiting at the end of our road is worth every sacrifice."

Tazia cried. She cuddled up to the man seeking solace. He touched her with one hand gently and at the same time coldly and unsteadily. Huge blow shook the ship. The girl fell down to the floor. Azureus hit the wall. Howling of the sudden strong gale was heard and waves started hitting the deck of the galleon strongly. The bald sailor popped into the cabin. Tazia quickly got up. Long-haired came up to the captain.

"What happened?"

"I don't know! Fuck! I've never seen something like that." The bald man replied with a fear. He left the room and pointed his finger at the sky. Black, heavy clouds were whirling above the ship. The wind was striking against sails throwing all things from the upper deck into the cold water depths. Rough sea was butting against the hull, water was pouring on the deck. People were running around saving what they could. The bearded man clutched his beard panicking. Azureus felt immense fear. Tazia touched his shoulder and wiped tears off her cheek.

"We won't make it." She announced.

Meanwhile the Immortal's procession entered the Korus' cottage. A few of his people looked all around and destroyed all furniture which appeared on their way. One of them found his way to the central chamber in which Korus prepared for the meeting with the Rider. The old man was sitting completely nude in the middle of the circle built of sand. Slices of dried leaves covered his sweaty body and he held the opened magic book in his lap.

"You are hiding the one who should belong to our procession. Give him to us old man and a penalty won't meet you." A man whose face was covered with black rags said to him.

"I've never seen your procession. I don't have a clue what you are talking about." The old man announced and turned his back to him. A naked ass flashed.

"I won't repeat twice. We came up for what is ours"

"Let your boss come here. I won't be talking to his minion." Korus said and he thumbed his nose at his interviewed person. Immortal entered the cottage. He brought a coolness and the strange emptiness impression along. His remaining subordinates appeared by his side. The rider looked at the old man with red eyes. Korus nervously swallowed seeing the figure in the black amour surpassing him. He mustered up his courage.

"Who are you, what are you?" He asked mockingly.

"One big walking, rotting living dead... is it supposed to frighten me? You know what, friend? I'm not afraid of you, I'm not afraid of you. Can you hear me? I'm not giving a shit about you!" He shouted showing his white rear end. The dark Knight lifted the hand. He dispatched it to the old man. His eyes were on fire with a bloody glitter.

The sun started its slow movement below the horizon filling surroundings with the orange-red glow. Illyana and Agnar were sitting at the stake of sticks which the girl gathered together in the nearby forest. Their horses were grazing carefree on the meadows. Water in the mountain stream was making quiet, calming rustle which mixed with sounds of insects living in the grass.

"Try one more time, Illyana. Relax. Think about the warmth..." Agnar said.

"One more time..." The girl closed her eyes. She stretched hands out. She imagined flames dancing between bonfire's branches. Heat became more and more intense. The fire in her mind gained the enormity, it approached her. She opened her eyes. She clenched fists.

"I can't do this. Power is too great, if I use this spell I can do the damage... I won't risk."

"Be calm. You're already making progress. You're refraining yourself. You said that at the first time you couldn't do it."

"Yes, but it started the same as now. We must light the bonfire in other way."

"I have an idea." The boy got up and took a few branches. He threw them on the stones very close to the river.

"Try on those. If they catch a fire it'll be possible to extinguish them with a water."

Illyana got up, she turned toward the heap of the firewood. She closed her eyes and started imagining the flickering flame of the torch. It became larger and brighter. The girl opened her eyes. She extended a hand toward sticks. The fiery stream emerged from her hands and it reduced all twigs to ashes in a split of a second. Illyana sighed and sat down on the grass resigned. Agnar came up to the pile of ashes. He took out one stick.

"Can you see? It came off. We can light our bonfire from it." He announced showing the branch the girl.

The storm broke out above the galleon in which Azureus traveled. Huge blasts of the wind were tousling its sails and tangling the ropes. Waves were hitting the hull of the ship. The unpleasant cold rain was lashing all crew members battling with the elements. Azureus looked at the development of the situation with a terror. Rivulets of water were flowing down his hair and the cape. He looked in Tazia's direction.

"Hide in the cabin! There's dangerous here." He tried to outshout the roar of the wind.

"No, I'm not a coward." The girl replied and ran to help two sailors who were tying solid wooden boxes to the ship. Azureus leaned against the fence. Rains and streams of the salt water hit his body. He looked high at the sky noticing that black clouds gathered only around the ship, the rest of the sky was completely clear. The sea also was shaken by the storm only in the nearby surroundings of the galleon.

"I knew." The man said coldly and moved toward stairs leading to a lower deck. In the same moment lightings struck from the cloud. One of them hit the mast on which some crew member was sitting. The boy fell down smashing barrel with his body and killing himself. The mast caught fire. Tazia with the captain were helping to move some fat person, who was lying unconscious after being hit in the head by the piece of the beam, into the safe place. The next wave flooded the deck.

"My Lord! Hide yourself, my lord!" The bearded man screamed hysterically.

"Shut up!" Long-haired man shouted. He clutched one of masts and he rescued his life with an effort. The bearded man didn't have so much luck. Water took him with three other persons. Meanwhile in Ariana's basements the priestess launched the stream of the magical energy toward the door. The door fell apart into small pieces. The woman left her cell with a look of contentment on her face.

Azureus went under the deck. He heard that water had hit the ship once again, and people taken by it screamed as beguiled. It didn't make an impression on him. He knew what he had to do in order to rescue himself and the entire ship. He noticed Ariana hiding herself in the shadow of the corridor. He took the sword out of the scabbard and moved in her direction. In the same time next lightning struck the deck directly above him. The man deafened by its bang fell down to the floor and fragments of the ship being on fire fell on him. The old woman passed by him not saying one word. She went to the upper deck, found some calmer place a long way from flames and salt water for herself, disappeared there and once again started reciting spells in a language known only for herself. Nobody noticed her appearance. The storm increased more and more and the ship and its crew were totally at its mercy.

Korus was proudly standing before the Dark Rider. The gloomy demon moved the glove close to his face. The old timer opened his eyes.

"Who knows how many years you terrorize these lands and everyone traveling. You're ready to kill everyone to receive payment. What did you do in your life, that you can't experience the peace now? You marked my friend with your sign, but I don't intend to let you hurt him. I know that I don't have enough strength to destroy you and free this land from your spectre, but I know one thing... I will certainly make it difficult for you to get Agnar! If I won't kill you I'll at least slow you down!" The Knight touched the head of the old man. In the split of a second all walls, magic books, the floor as well as Korus' body was covered with flames. Fire was so intense that it immediately consumed the frail body of the old man, bodies of all helpers of Immortal Man and the Rider himself. The cottage transformed in a huge torch. Horses tied close by also burnt down in torments.

Waves were already so high that they started turning the ship over. Tazia and captain hid behind one of boxes in order to wait for the end of the crash of next wave.

"I've never been in such a situation! No storm caused so much damage to ships on which I served. I'm seeing it as a bad omen..."

"Most important for us is to survive..." The girl replied. She came up to the next person requiring the help. In the same moment the cool breeze of air struck her body turning her over. Girl stood up feeling that she had broken wrist. She noticed her mother. Ariana was in the centre of elemental storm and in spite of winds, the rain and lightings she remained adamant. She was smiling.

"Mum! What are you doing here! Hide, it is dangerous here!" Ariana lifted both hands up. Lightning struck the back of the ship. Tazia opened her eyes from amazement.

"It's you who brought the storm about on us! Why?" She tried to learn something from her mother.

"Sapphire! Sapphire! Sapphire!" The older woman screamed loudest she was able.

"Mum! Calm down, you don't want to kill all these people!" Ariana formed bullets from the magical energy. She hurled them at the girl, who couldn't do any move. The captain turned her over to the deck at the last moment saving her live. He got hit in the leg with one of the bullets. He howled louder than the thunder.

"Fuck!" Seeing wound on his leg he gave an order to everyone.

"Kill her! Kill this whore! Kill the witch!"

Ariana launched magic bullets again, this time at the sailors. One of them fell down dead, two remaining fled in panic.

"You pricks! You aren't able to do anything yourselves!" He screamed unsheathing his sword. The old woman seeing what the captain was going to do hurled the next batch of magic arrows. Tazia stood up before the bald man and formed the magical shield. The Ariana's charm reflected from it like from a trampoline.

"You must stop mum!" The girl announced. Her mother answered her with the salvo of magic arrows. Black-haired girl protected herself from them, but she weakened very much. She fell down to her knees.

"Why are you doing this? Did you want the revenge on us? Don't involve the crew of this ship... fight with me, with Azureus..." The girl saying these words realized the man wasn't nowhere in the vicinity. She thought that most probably he had died from the Ariana's hand. Captain not paying heed to the wounded leg approached the witch with the sword. He knew that he could rescue his ship only in this way. The woman noticed that she was in danger. She turned to the bald man, she mumbled something. The sailor fell down to the floor. Convulsions stunned him. From his mouth, nose and eyes sipped blood and after a moment branches of some plant grew. The man died in excruciating torments and his body became the soil for the strange tree which was getting out through all holes of his body. Tazia paled. She clenched fists. She remembered how her mother had created magic trees, when she had visited her at the church as a little girl. She remembered how she had liked plants, how she had taken care of them. She remembered how she had admired their pink flowers with the mother. She compared their beauty with the view of bloody branches sticking out from the mouth of the dead man. She was terrified that such a beautiful spell could be used for such an evil thing.

"You aren't my mother." She replied coldly and closed her eyes. She reminded herself the learning of the magic at the Windan's side and especially the moment when the woman had leaned over her and looked in her eyes saying: "you're worse than all my girls. Because you're afraid to use what is in your real nature." In front of the eyes of girl a wrinkled face of her teacher with raven black hair appeared. "I'll do it because the life of all these people depends on me."

"Arrow of the death." The girl whispered and formed the twinkling, oblong shape - black arrow. She sent it at Ariana's direction. Surprised woman didn't manage to defend herself of this type of spell. The arrow pierced her through. The old woman moved few strides back and was taken by the next wave hitting the board. Tazia fell down on her knees. She started crying. It stopped raining above ship, the sea began to calm down and black clouds started to disappear from the evening sky.

Agnar jumped on his feet. He started bustling around the campsite searching for his sword. Illyana was lying besides the bonfire. She was waiting for the sleep to come. Behavior of the boy irritated her very much. She sat down on a stone.

"What's going on? Stop being toing and froing! I almost fell asleep".

"I sensed that something bad happened, something very bad."

He found his sword and quickly strapped it to the belt.

"Don't sit girl, help me untie the horses!" He said with raised voice.

"I won't move until you tell me what you mean."

"Something happened to Korus! I feel it!" The boy replied. He ran to the nearby hill upset with the sluggishness of his companion. He looked around searching something in the darkening surroundings. He spotted reddish point in the distance and clouds of the black smoke hovering over it.

"Korus!" Agnar shouted out with a terror.

"It's Korus' house! It's burning! We must come back!" He ran down the slope in the direction of the bonfire.

"Wait! Calm down!" The girl was shocked by his recent behavior.

"What am I supposed to wait for? Korus needs help! We must come back as soon as possible!"

"Calm down Agnar, think..." The girl tried to calm him.

"I cannot! Immortal attacked him searching for us!"

"Exactly! Do you remember what Korus told you about the Immortal? You don't have a chance in the clash with him! Korus ordered you to leave and not to look back! For your own good!" The blonde touched his shoulder. She didn't want him to be harmed.

"Korus is my friend... if I don't come to his rescue I will never forgive myself."

"Be calm and think about it. We're a few hours of travel from the Korus' house. Even if we set off now, when we arrive in the place it'll be all over. If it's only an ordinary fire, your friend is probably safe and healthy. And if it's really Immortal... I think it's already too late." Agnar swiftly looked at Illyana with a hate.

"If you come back you won't help Korus but you'll expose yourself to a danger. Your friend wouldn't want it. After all he sent you on a travel to protect you." The blonde tried to calm him once again. The boy clenched his fists. He hit Illyana's face with all his might. The girl fell down on the ground.

"You showed your true colors!" Agnar was filled with an anger. The blonde touched her lips. Drops of blood fell on nearby stones.

"Not yet... but I'll show you right away." She quietly whispered holding her sore jaw.

"You dulled my vigilance, but perhaps you're in league with the Black Rider! I'll finish you once and forever!" - He shouted being in a state of shock.

"Try!" Illyana said smiling. From her nose streaks of a blood poured. Agnar attacked her with the sword. She managed to avoid all of his attacks easily. She was able to get the Sword of Souls from nowhere. She parried blows of the opponent and then attacked him herself.

"I'm scheming with the Immortal, right?" Illyana attacked the boy more aggressively. Clang of steel against steel pierced surroundings.

"I stuck this damn arrow in my own arm, broke my leg and jumped from the cliff, right? I poisoned myself with some magical vileness?" The girl was furious. Her eyes turned red. Fragments of the magic armor appeared on her body.

"I mangled my own body so that the Dark Rider – my faithful friend could attack you and Korus! You are right!" Illyana attacked even more strongly. Agnar barely defended himself.

"Some poor kid from a village and a crazy old man about whom I've never heard before!" Illyana hit him as strong as she could. The sword fell out of the hand of the boy. However Agnar was faster than the girl. The boy dodged, he kicked Illyana's calves, and then knocked her over to the ground. He caught her by both hands, lifted her up and threw her into thickets.

"You little shit... I burnt myself with a nettle teas." The blonde announced getting up from bushes. The sword turned up in her hand. Agnar took his weapon out also.

"What are you, you monster?" He tried to irritate her. The girl was panting from fatigue.

"You know what; I didn't ask to be here. The only thing I want is to get back home! I don't give a shit about what will happen to Korus, Rider, you and this frigging land! Do you understand?" Illyana hit again. She deprived the boy of the sword with the first blow and with the second one she knocked him over into a mud. She moved her sword to his chest.

"For the last time I'm telling you that I don't care about you and I don't plan to do anything bad to you!" Her voice cracked, she was breathing unevenly. She had eyes colored red.

"If I wanted to kill you..." She pointed at the stake of burnt sticks.

"... You can see for yourself one shot and you would be ash!" She raised the sword above her head.

"I don't want it and I even cannot!" The girl moved the sword very quickly with the intention of piercing the boy. She hit his torso. Agnar was horrified; he wasn't even able to produce any voice. The sword went through him like through the ghost not causing him damage. Illyana ordered the weapon as well as her amour to disappear and her eyes returned to the normal blue color. She wiped blood from the nose.

"My sword can cause damage only to being who are my enemy and whom I regard as evil. These are its greatest benediction and the biggest curse. As you see, you aren't an enemy for me, neither you, nor your old friend from this world, simply because I know nobody here." After this short monologue the girl sat down on the grass, and later she lay down on her back.

"And now leave me alone, my face is hurting me after your fist". Agnar got up, looked at the sword lying close by and the defenseless half-conscious blonde. He buried the head in his hands. He had a chance to attack and kill the witch once and for all. He hesitated seeing tired and injured blonde haired girl.

"Damn it! I'm already fed up with everything and with you in particular..." He announced.

"Me too". The girl replied.

Both of them were lying on their backs looking at dark clouds moving all over the sky. They had been silent for a good fifteen minutes. In the end the silence was stopped by Agnar.

"He caught Korus, right?" He started conversation.

"Maybe..." The blonde replied him without emotions.

"Can we do anything?" - Black haired boy asked rhetorically.

"It had already happened, I'm sorry..."

"You know, Korus was like a father for me... today I was orphaned..." The young guardian was surprised that he was talking with a person who he tried to kill a few minutes ago.

"You don't know it; I certainly know that I lost my entire world..."

"The Rider is already going after us, we should move."

"I think so." The girl got up.

"But my hand is burning me after these frigging weeds." She announced.

"I'll check..." Agnar approached her. He wanted to heal her wounds.

"Don't come closer, I'm going to the stream to wash myself, you should too."

"Yeah…" The boy replied lowering the head.

"But at the moment I have to rest a little longer." He announced and then lay down on the grass again.

The galleon of Tarania kingdom was floating on a calm waters of the Sea of Anxiety. One of its three large sails was entirely in shreds; the second one was half burnt. A majority of fires were already extinguished. All crew members helped each other in a silence covering their dead companions with white linen. Tazia stopped crying, but she still couldn't think about what she did minutes ago. Vision of her mother and what happened to her was hanging in her conscious mind. She was disgusted with herself. Even words of comforting sailors for whom the girl became the heroine didn't help. The view of the tree soaked with a blood sticking out from under white material covering remain of the captain filled her with disgust and hate to many people: herself, her mother, Azureus, entire Clan of the Night. She noticed that two sailors were leading the wounded long-haired man. Strange emotion hit her: on one hand relief, on the other strange anger because her companion survived. She came up to him very quickly. Azureus was wounded; he had burnt hand and part of the torso. He looked very sad. The girl sat down by him, she wanted to talk. The man didn't turn to her.

"They told me what you had done." He replied quietly, with completely not his voice.

"No matter what you now think of yourself, you did the right thing. I am proud of you." Tazia didn't answer him, she didn't even know what she was supposed to think about everything she crammed herself into. Azureus continued.

"I am now sure that you will be able to cope with every situation. I can trust you." He touched her fingers.

"You will continue the journey to Pylfiders to ask the oracle where the girl with a golden hair from other world is now." He touched her cheeks.

"You planned to go there yourself..."

"My wounds won't permit it... I must rest." He showed the burnt side and the shoulder.

"I'll help you, I'll try to heal you..." Tazia wanted to ease him suffering. Azureus pushed her hand. "No! I will leave scars so that they remind me of all my mistakes every day." He announced and got up with an effort. Some boy helped him to walk away toward the cabin. Black-haired girl understood how terribly sad is Azureus and how much he sacrificed to go along the road which he prepared for himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Agnar spent the rest of the evening being silent and thinking about what had happened to his friend. He didn't witness his death, but the premonition and the bond they had with each other for many years told him that he would never see his bearded face again. Illyana was sitting close to the river on one of round rocks, she was throwing tiny pebbles into the water. She was in a very bad mood, the entire circumstances started outgrowing her. She knew that what had happened with an elderly man had been partially her fault and moreover she stopped being in control of herself again after the boy had slapped her in the face. She felt Belasco's magic inside her body and she realized how close she had been to becoming the same as her old master. The girl overlooked that Agnar was staying by her. The boy gazed at her face reminding himself what he did a few hours ago.

"I'm sorry that I hit you." He announced.

"I know the mood which you were in, I'm not angry at you". She replied unenthusiastically.

"Yes, but I shouldn't react this way. You were right all the time, even if we had got to the home of Korus we wouldn't have been able to do anything".

"I had to pierce you with the sword so that you understood it". Illyana replied smiling lightly.

"Perhaps I deserved it".

The girl was silent thinking about how should he continue the conversation.

"You know, telling the truth I should also apologize to you for something. These things which I said, bad things... when I fell into the anger. About the fact that I don't care about the Korus' and yours fate..." Agnar cut her off in a mid-sentence.

"You told the truth. You know us only two days, you are lost in a place completely alien to you, you want to get out from here as soon as possible."

"That's not the point. There are certain things concerning me about which I don't want to talk... I'm sometimes not myself, I behave strangely, irrationally... I'm losing my temper... you know... I went through a lot and I 'm not the same person as I was in the past... you can tell I have the darker part of the soul... I won't tell you details because I cannot, at least not at the moment..."

"In your dream and after I hit you... that thing... Was it this problem?"

"Yes..." The girl lowered her head and corrected hair. She hesitated for a moment and then she continued.

"Perhaps it'll be better if I travel alone?" She asked. Agnar didn't answer her. He looked at the dark sky like he was expecting something.

"No. I promised Korus that I would go with you. And especially now when he is no longer with us, it became very important. I must fulfill his last wish." The boy walked away from her by a distance of few meters. Then he looked at something far away again.

"Go to sleep now, girl. Tomorrow early in the morning we're going to start our journey." He added finishing the conversation. Illyana walked away in the direction of the smoldering bonfire. She lay down on a piece of fabric which she got from the old herbalist and closed her eyes waiting for sleep to take over her consciousness. She was worn out by the travel and recent use of the magic, therefore she quickly managed to fall asleep. She had pleasant dreams about Piotr and Kitty and walk in a park. She felt safe. Her dream ended quite unexpectedly because the girl had seen red-haired, bearded man with a traveler's knapsack walking on the sky once again. But this time the bearded man turned to her and waved at her smiling. The girl woke up in the middle of the night. She was lying motionless looking at the moonlit sky stretching above her. Stars were gleaming like neon lights of some large city, they were closer, more real than on the Earth the girl used to know. Two meteors fell down from the sky leaving glowing streaks behind themselves. Illyana was slowly walking along the river bank looking at colorful lights shimmering inside it. She thought that insects living there were performing their everyday display. She noticed Agnar sitting close by. The boy was hunched, he was gripping his sword tightly. The blonde decided to come closer. She sat down by him, but the boy didn't reacted probably not even noticing her. Illyana looked at him more closely. As it turned out rivulets of tears were flowing from his eyes. Mutant girl touched his hand and gripped it firmly. Agnar didn't react. He closed his eyes trying to stop the flood of tears. Illyana, without a single word, put her head on his shoulder.

Tazia was walking on the deck of the galleon examining damage done by her mother: broken wooden fragments of the ship, torn sails, smoking remains of burnt things and a lot of bodies of people who were unlucky during the attack of the crazy woman. People around her were busy with various work: one of them was repairing damaged parts of the vessel, other was covering his dead companions with white materials. They smiled to Tazia, because she had become the heroine of the day for them. Girl couldn't stand her own thoughts and decided to go to the captain's cabin. She found Azureus sitting by the large wooden desk. The man was bandaged and, judging from his face expression, he still had felt an intense pain: both physical and psychological. Tazia seeing him in such a state didn't know whether she should speak to him. Azureus looked at her smiling.

" I will be the captain of this ship through the rest of the travel. I have such rights and duties as one of knights of the queen. Look at this wonders! These carpets were brought from Gannatia, one can see it from the geometrical motive and here is an emerald shield of Arillon people. You know, the fraction of this race practicing black magic belongs to the Clan of the Night..."

The girl knew that Azureus' condition was serious and he wanted to turn her attention away from it talking about objects from the room.

"I... I must tell you about something... when I was a little girl I always met with my mother to walk with her in the garden. It was in the temple of discs, so there was no good soil and my mum had to use her magic to create and to look after the garden. She knew that I loved flowers, she had always prepared spells for me..." Tazia nervously swallowed. Tears appeared in her eyes.

"She created magical plants for me... these were my most beautiful memories... really. But now after what I saw... how the spell of tree's creation can be used..." Tazia started shaking. Azureus gently rose and gripped her hand.

"Go on... throw it away from your memory! Remember only the good things!"

"I can't! When I close my eyes I can see this monstrosity!" The girl sat down on the chair.

"I can't stand myself! I can't cope with the guilt! I killed my own mother!" The girl was speaking fast almost screaming. Azureus came up to her very slowly.

"Tazia. Your mother died from the hand of the Black Rider. It is also my fault, so you can hate me. But don't feel a hostility towards yourself, you did only what had been necessary. You didn't kill your mother, but the enemy - the witch who threatened the life of all people aboard. You demonstrated intense power and determination. I am convinced that you will be able to face up to any hardship."

"I don't know, I don't know if I can go on further... I feel like killing you!"

"You can do it. You are free, after all we want the absolute freedom for all people, right? But do you want that all our hardships turned out to be in vain? Life of your mother and these sailors? Our expedition? Everything what you planned for yourself?" Tazia covered her face with hands. She didn't felt like looking at Azureus.

"You are stronger today than yesterday and thanks to that closer to our victory also. Remember about it. When you decided to join us I told you that you would have to devote a lot to our case. Now you can see that I told the truth. Even greater misfortunes and tragedies will appear before us, but thanks to that the victory will be even more wonderful. New world of the truth, in which Tarania will be free, will emerge from the ashes of the old world. Free as all of her citizens. And there won't be second Ella ever again."

"I'll never forgive myself this crime!" Black haired girl replied.

"You will learn to live with it. The same as I sacrificed my soul for our land. History will remember us as heroes."

"Or monsters." The girl whispered and she left the cabin.

Azureus didn't go after her. He knew that the conversation had brought the expected effect and Tazia wasn't going to turn against him. Black-haired girl went to the other end of the ship, farthest as she could from the place in which dead were being gathered. She bended over the barrier trying to notice something in depths of the sea, but in a vain. She closed her eyes in order to stop tears flowing. In the same moment three sailors came up to her. One of them was entirely bald, the other two had blonde hair. They were dirty from work on the burnt vessel.

"We have come to thank for what you did for us once again."

"You rescued us from the cold grip of the death and prevent our ship from sinking."

"Therefore we want to invite you to the farewell celebration for our fallen companions who will be returned to the sea. We want to invite you as the guest of honor."

Tazia turned her head.

"I don't know if I can. I'm not feeling good."

"It is very important for us."

"We want to change the name of our ship. We want our ship to wear your name starting from today." Tazia closed her eyes.

"Okay, it's the real honor for me." The girl forced herself to smile for the first time after that tragic night.

Illyana and Agnar woke up very early in the morning. The Sun barely raised over the wall of forest and semidarkness reigned in the surroundings and white mist was hovering over a green grass. The night birds were preparing to finish their concerts to make a place for their daylight cousins. The travelers were not talking about what had happened yesterday and in the night. They prepared horses quickly and set off on the way forward. Agnar looked at the surroundings of Korus' house the last time but this time he didn't see even a trail of smoke. The valley looked calmly as nothing had happened in it yesterday. The mutant girl and guardian were travelling to the nearest town.

"Can I ask you about something?" Illyana spoke first.

"Yes"?

"Tell me, what was the temple on the top of a mountain inside which I appeared when I was kidnapped?"

"I don't know exactly, I've never been in these place before. Many bright discs appeared there and therefore the temple was built, but people stopped going on a pilgrimage to it ages ago."

"Bright discs?" Illyana asked thinking about her special abilities.

"Discs, from which the light of our God is emanating, sometimes turn up in this land. Thanks to them priests are able to bring his blessings on the faithful. Lights are the source of their magic. Being in the light of the disc is a real privilege for us and only a few can experience such an event."

"And if discs are gates from which the magic is getting out, did somebody try to go to their other side to see what is being hidden in their source?" Illyana was very curious.

"No, of course not. People say that someone tried, but nobody lived to tell a tale about such an experience."

"I understand." Illyana fell into a pensive mood. She decided not to tell the boy about her power.

"And what is this?" The girl asked looking at the wooden sculpture covered with a moss portraying the sun by which they were travelling.

"It's a chapel. It's a symbol of the bright disc for us, simple people. Everyone is allowed to stop by it and ask for blessings. You'll see a lot of them on the road, especially behind the Tarania's borders".

"What kind of place the Tarania is?" The girl was asking again.

"It's much bigger than Aranis. It has the port, the city and the castle of the Queen. Moreover there is the main Temple of the Light in which the high priest lives. Vast forests are surrounding this realm. To tell the truth I don't know much about it, because I've seen only vicinity of its harbor. The rest I know only from Korus tales."

"And what about Falaria?"

"I don't know... I've never heard any stories about it." The boy replied honestly.

"It means that we know the same. I still have a few questions..."

"I'm waiting. The time will pass faster when we're talking."

"Who is this Immortal Rider.. he almost killed me, I would like to know something more about him."

"He is the murderer and kidnapper for hire. If he chased you it means somebody wished you or your death. Nobody knows where he comes from neither whom he really is. He's travelling across these lands probably for centuries... the procession of people who became his victims in the past always accompanies him. Procession consisting of living dead obedient to their champion. They say that he's the necromancer, the cursed king, the demon or the being coming from the emptiness between worlds. It isn't possible to win against him, or to kill him..." Agnar closed his eyes. He remembered the apparition of the Rider looking at his face and the smiling figure of the old man. He clenched fists.

"I don't know... I defeated him."

"But only his specter. In the real world he would gut you with one blow of the sword."

"He can try!" Illyana replied smiling.

"I have seen his victims once... bodies pierced by black arrows. Terrible sight... their bodies disappeared from graves one night after the burial. And by the way... Thank you..."

"For what?" The blonde was surprised.

"You stopped me when I tried to return to Korus' hut. If the Black Knight was really there you probably saved my life."

"You hit my face as a reward..."

"Must I to apologize to you once again?"

"No, no... it's ok.. I'm simply teasing you out of boredom."

"Illyana... do you miss your friends?" Agnar asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes... I'm thinking about them all the time, particularly about two of them: Kitty and my brother."

"They must be worried about you".

"I know. Magneto probably started looking for me."

"Who is Magneto? Your brother?"

"No... he is my... teacher."

"Teacher... Is Magneto a wizard?"

"Yes and what's more very powerful..." Illyana laughed in her thoughts saying the last sentence.

"Did he give you the sword?"

"Yes, I must thank him... he saved my life."

"He should be proud of such a pupil."

"Do you think?" The conversation of the couple of acquaintances was going on and on. Their horses entered big, ground road. The pair stopped. In the nearby distance they saw the first country buildings standing here and there.

"We're approaching Aranis." The boy announced.

"At last!" The blonde replied smiling.

After a dozen minutes the couple of travelers encountered the narrow market of the small port town. Many buildings were located there, some of them were just wooden houses, however other resembled small stone towers. There were many more of these kind of buildings in the proximity of the Aranis' port than in the rest of the town, because the richest people lived there. The place was quite crowded by locals, merchants and sailors staying on the island. Illyana and Agnar tied their horses to one of thick poles sticking out between houses and they decided to look around the surroundings. The girl was enthusiastically watching everyone present at the market. Old, fat women selling meat looked at her attentively and with a bit of jealously. Bearded seller of animals' skins which the girl wasn't able to identify blinked to her letting clouds of smoke escape from his pipe. Some local women with messy hair whistled at Agnar. Bald headed dwarf quarreled with grey haired man selling decorated, rounded shields.

"Strange..." Agnar announced quietly.

"Why?"

"It shouldn't be such a crowd here... when I was in Aranis on the market there had never been so many people."

"Perhaps they have some holiday or something similar here..."

"No. It's impossible at this time of the year."

The blonde stopped by the shop with various jewels. She started watching small chains.

"Aren't they beautiful? They'll fit the face of such a pretty woman." Grey haired lady spoke to the girl seeing her interest in a merchandise. She wanted to sell her trinkets as soon as possible.

"They're pretty indeed, but I don't have any money..." Illyana replied. Agnar came closer to the girl. "You want it? I can buy you it as an apology."

"I think I deserve something for all your punches."

"Illyana... Choose one of them."

"Ok.. perhaps I'll take this one." The girl said pointing at the golden pendant depicting the snake eating its own tail."

"Wonderful choice!" The seller shouted clearly showing satisfaction. Agnar took the small chain from her hand and hanged it on Illyana's neck.

"I'm sorry..." He announced once again. The girl smiled impatiently. Agnar pointed his finger at something in the distance and after a moment they both headed in the direction of the settlement and the port being located in it.

Strange man in black clothes was strolling amongst crowds of people. He had dark hair, a paleface and the mocking smile. He approached other person – bald muscleman and disappeared with him somewhere behind stalls with the meat. They both appeared behind one of round houses. The muscleman leaned against its wall. His slim companion took a black crystal out of a bag and he rubbed it gently with his hand. Small, black figurine emerged from the object immediately turning into a cloud of smoke and then observers saw an image of Illyana's face in a bright disc. Azureus' voice sounded from inside of the crystal.

"I am offering the award on Ariana, keeper of bright discs. I am offering even bigger award for those who will bring her companion with a golden hair to me! Living and in good health! Azureus from Tarania."

"Could you see that girl? The same face as in this magic letter..." Black-haired man announced to his colleague.

"I don't know... maybe, but she was walking with some guy rather than the priestess..." The bald companion answered him scratching his head in amazement.

"It's irrelevant. The award is only on gold haired one. We'll watch her. And later we'll get the job done and get the money."

"Of course! But we divide award equally?" The bald man asked.

"Yes, my beloved Urhgork, you are right..."

Agnar stopped by the food's seller for a moment in order to make supplies for the rest of the journey. Fat merchant in a dirty apron quickly chose slices of the meat for him and sold him a sack full of purple fruits. Agnar took one of them and handed it to the blonde. The girl bit one piece.

"Good, sweet..." She said.

"I think I bought enough for our expedition to Tarania". The boy took dark-green leaves out of the bag.

"Take them, they'll be useful for you on the sea."

"What are they?"

"They'll protect you from the sea sickness."

"Thanks. What will we do now?"

"We'll go to the port. It's placed only a couple of minutes of a walk from here. Perhaps I'll meet some acquaintances who will find transport appropriate for us. And if not we'll have to pay for it..."

"Will the journey to Tarania realm take long?"

"No, a few days if we have good winds. The Sea of Anxiety is very narrow between ports. It's very commonly used merchants' route."

The girl felt a hint of cold wind on her face, she inhaled a smell of the sea. She was preparing for a walk in its direction. Agnar stopped her with a move of the hand.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Look that way." The boy showed the blonde group of people standing together in the distance. A few men in leather amours was leading merchants dressed in robes embroidered with complicated patterns. All of them were tied up.

"What is happening there?"

"These men are guards of the Aranis port. I've seen many of them today. They're mercenaries working for the prince governing this city. As you can see they stopped merchants from the Cartel of the Travelers. It's really strange, because they always want to be as far from any trouble as possible. Reaching the place in which they do their trade business is the only thing that matters for them. In case of misunderstandings they always try to reach a compromise."

"Perhaps this group is different, perhaps they were drunk and started brawls?"

"No... look there." the boy indicated another group of guards. Men were leading some woman dressed in a white dress together with her two children. The girl stopped. She looked around seeing groups of armed people strolling everywhere.

"Indeed, really strange. They're trying to collect people in one place... as if they want to provide order on streets using force."

"Or maybe they're searching for somebody..." Agnar replied clenching his fist.

"Do you think that they mean me?" The girl asked feeling fear.

"I don't know, let's get out of here." Illyana noticed bearded man going from the port who was clearly dissatisfied with something. She ran up to him.

"I'm sorry, Do you know what happened there? Why are guards stopping all these people?"

"I don't have the foggiest idea! The prince closed the port and all land bridges leading to Aranis! Nobody can get out of the town! I'm already late, bloody hell!, goddammit! My entire cargo will rot away because of this huffy little shit!"

"Do you know why the port was closed?" Agnar asked coming up to the man.

"I don't know! They told me nothing! My friends tried to quarrel with this bastards and they were beaten by them to a pulp! And they'll spend the entire night in stinking dungeons of the town hall! And you, just leave me alone! I don't have a time for a chatter!" The bearded man quickly moved away from the pair of travelers.

"Perhaps I'll come up to soldiers and ask them why the port was closed?" The girl suggested.

"No. They may hit you and what then? Let's better go out of here as soon as possible."

"What is happening here?" Illyana asked rhetorically.

"Prince is trying to catch the kidnapper." Somebody answered her with a quiet voice. The blonde instinctively turned around. A slim man with a black hair who had been looking at Azureus' message earlier was standing behind her. He smiled ominously.

"Who are you? Why do you know this?" Agnar asked coming up to the stranger.

"I am Flaroth. I'm squirming here and there. I heard the various things." Black-haired man looked at Illyana, eyeing her whole body up and down.

"Kidnapper? What kind of kidnapper?" The girl tried to learn something.

"In the morning, two daughters of the prince went missing... The master fell into an anger. He is questioning everyone who were in the city... He is searching in every house. I know nothing more... He won't stop until he finds them alive or dead."

"Alive or dead?" Mutant girl was curious.

"Yes... the prince wouldn't even try to search for them if the Arcalc necklace - his dearest gem didn't go missing. He wouldn't ... I know nothing more." The gloomy man went further from the blonde.

"We're ready to go." Agnar announced touching the shoulder of the girl.

"And what will we do now?"

"We'll look for accommodation, perhaps everything will become clear tomorrow".

"I remember that there was some kind of inn on the outskirts of the town. Perhaps we'll stop there?"

"Illyana, you have good idea".

The black-haired man came back to the backstreet where he had talked to Urhgork earlier. The bald man was leaning against the wall the same way as before, like he didn't move even for one millimeter. "Could you see her?" He asked.

"Yes, I even talked to her. She is trying to get out from here, but because of that kidnapping she is grounded. We are lucky."

"Will we catch her?" The bald man asked scratching his head in surprise.

"No, I want to watch her. She is pretty, she has fair hair and blue eyes. She has very exotic smell... she is certainly not from here. And one more thing... she smells of the magic."

Illyana and Agnar reached the inn. In the vicinity of the building there were a few municipal guards who checked people trying to get out of the town. They didn't keep an eye on strangers going in the direction of the inn. The girl entered the tavern first. She was struck by smells of a beer, dirty clothes, roasted meat and stuffiness of the room from every side. The inside was exceptionally crowded and noisy. Many travelers forced to stay in the town against their will were easing themselves with a food, alcohol beverages and conversations about the stupidity of the local master or losses they have to suffer because of him. The fat woman was moving between guests twice more quickly than usually serving beer and drinks. Agnar and the girl came up to the innkeeper. A man with red beard, bald head and red nose smiled wryly at the blonde but she ignored him entirely.

"We want to rent a room." Agnar said to the fat person.

"It'll be difficult. I have everything occupied. There's only one little room free at the attic, but I don't know whether it's suitable for guests." The barkeeper answered cleaning the beer mug using his apron.

"We'll take everything. We spent the last night on the grass so everything will be good."

"Okay, if you say so..." The boy completed formalities with the innkeeper while Illyana was watching guests of the bar. Apart from the wife of the fat man, there were no women inside. The girl felt a bit embarrassed. Three dwarfs dressed in clothes of the city guards entered the inn. One of them held some wrapped up parchment. All guests, seeing their access, become quieter and stared at them with their bloodshot eyes on drunkard's physiognomies. Agnar touched the Illyana's shoulder.

"Let's go, we'll have the moment of peace upstairs".

"Wait, I want to hear what they have to say". The blonde girl silenced him. One of the dwarfs, the one with red beard, unwound the roll and started reading from it. Two remaining ones were looking at the crowd closely.

"The prince of Aranis forbids all travelers and locals from leaving the town and all ships from leaving the port until the matter of his daughters' kidnapping and the theft remains unsolved." In the room a ruckus appeared. The short bald man with black beard unfastened the axe from his belt and hit one of wooden chairs with it destroying it completely. He caused the intense noise that calmed down all guests. His companion continued.

"There is the award for everyone who will find princesses or indicate the place of their stay or, what is more important, find the Arcalc necklace, Aranis greatest treasure. Remember that the prince won't accept help from any weak carrion and know that somebody who will be willing to help with the search must be well-known for his swordsmanship." The dwarf finished reading the document and disappeared in a crowd together with his brothers.

"And now... roasted millet and beer for everyone of us!" He cried out to the fat barmaid.

"Come on Illyana." Agnar patted the girl on the back pointing her in the direction of stairs leading upstairs. They found themselves on the attic, where the room rented by them was located. The corridor there was dirty and crowded by old furniture. There was no lights on it and the only window which was on its distant end was covered by planks. Every step of the girl brought nasty creaking of an old, oaken floor. Agnar found the door to which the key given him by the owner fit and opened them. A little room with one bed and small tri-legged stool appeared before Illyana's eye. The rays of the Sun finishing its slow movement over the horizon were flowing through the tiny, dirty windows.

"What a hole!" Illyana announced.

"We won't be here for ages, but it's much better than wet grass." The boy replied.

"You're right... but only one bed?" The girl was really disgusted by the "hotel room" in which she was going to spend next night.

"I'll be sleeping on the corridor, the whole room is yours." The girl sat down on the bed. Unwillingly she touched the fabric upon its surface.

"But it's so dirty..." She said. Agnar opened a small window. The room became a bit more bright and pleasant.

"Agnar... what were they talking about? These bearded guys?"

"You heard them Illyana. They want mercenaries and adventurers to join the search of the prince's daughters and his necklace. The matter is very urgent because the situation in Aranis is becoming more and more tense. Everyone is in a hurry."

"We're also, but that's not what I meant. Why they said that only the ones which are great in wielding the sword can help with the search?"

"I'm not sure about it, but they probably wanted to announce that only foreign adventurers and mercenaries should join the search for the princesses. Perhaps the prince knows more about missing daughters than he is telling to the entire city. Perhaps he wants strangers to settle this matter rather than somebody of these surroundings familiar to him. Perhaps for some reasons he doesn't want to use his own guards." Agnar sat down on the bed by Illyana's side.

"Maybe the reason they're stopping all ships is they want to round-up all adventurers in one place." The girl tried the solve mystery associated with closing of the port.

"Perhaps..."

"Is the prince really willing to give the award?" The girl asked.

"Yes, I think so..." The boy answered after a moment of thought.

"In that case, what are we waiting for?"

"What are you getting at?" Agnar looked at the girl in an astonishment. The blonde got up and stood opposite to him.

"We want to get out of here quickly and money would be useful to us, right? Let's go to these guards! Let's say we're taking this task!"

" Illyana, what are you talking about?"

"We can do this! You're a guard and you can wield the sword." The girl was ready to take any assignment.

"I'm the guard from the village, not from the city..." Agnar was not very enthusiastic.

"I doesn't matter! And I'm stranger, so I'm satisfying the second condition. And I'm able to fight with a sword also. What more can he want from us?" The girl ran out to the corridor after the last sentence.

"Illyana!" The black-haired boy cried to her. He didn't hear any reply.

"Illyana! Wait!" Impatient man went after her. The girl disappeared from the corridor very quickly and ran to the lowest level of the inn straight into the crowd of drunk regulars of the tavern. When the boy caught up with her, she squeezed past the big-arsed fat man making her way towards the table by which dwarfs were sitting.

"I'm Illyana from... distant country... I'm the traveler..." The blonde started the conversation with bearded men. They look at her. They were eating the roast meat and sipping the beer.

"I'm Illyana..." Mutant girl said louder. One of guards turned to her.

"Get lost! We don't want prostitutes!" Blonde girl hearing his statement clenched fists and reddened with an anger. However she knew that establishing contact with dwarfs is very important to her, so she calmed down.

"No, I didn't come to you as a prostitute! I'm a traveler! We're an adventurers - I and my partner Agnar!" She pointed her finger at the boy standing in a safe distance.

"I heard all when you read the information from the prince! We're ready to take this job, for good award, of course!" Three dwarves looked at each other and they burst out laughing.

"You want to perform this task girl? With this boy?"

"And are you able to raise one sword together?" Three guards laughed loudly once again.

"Agnar is the guard the same as you! I'm also good in fight, we're ready for such a task!" One of dwarves scratched his beard, then looked at his companions smiling lightly.

"Let your boy come here and drink dwarf root beer with us! Let him show that he is a real man! If he can drink a few sips with us, it means that he will also be able to raise the sword!" Men burst out with laughter once again.

"We're accepting your challenge! Agnar is accepting your challenge!" Illyana announced and ran up to the black-haired boy.

"What are you doing? What you blabbed to them" The boy asked the blonde approaching him.

" I told them you're accepting their challenge! They want to check you!"

"What kind of challenge? I could hear nothing through this hubbub."

"Simple one!" Illyana caught him by the hand and went in the direction of dwarves.

"What is supposed to be simple?"

"You'll drink a few sips of the dwarf beer with them! Then they'll trust you and they'll believe you're strong enough to perform a task!"

"What did you tell them? No way! I won't do it! I don't intend to make a fool out of myself!"

"Come on! Nobody will notice and maybe we'll manage to earn something."

"I won't do it! I'm not moving even by one step".

"We're going! One moment and it'll be over!"

"Yeah... you've never seen dwarf drunkards before Illyana".

Blonde girl became very irritated. She let go of boy's hand.

"Okay! Stay here if you're afraid! I'll go there and I'll do it for us!"

"You caused problems so you now solve it!" Agnar shouted at her.

"Coward and wimp!" The girl answered and quickly left her companion. She stood up in the front of the table of bearded men. She hit it with both fists.

"Give me this beer mug! What are you waiting for?" Men were confused for a moment, but soon a smile appeared on their faces.

"Since the woman is asking, we cannot let her wait. Beer!" The barmaid brought a few beer mugs and handed them to everyone sitting by the table, to Illyana also. The blonde looked defiantly at her opponents and she grabbed the mug. Agnar was sitting down at the end of the room. He was resigned and covered his face by hands. Flaroth and Urghgork were sitting in other corner of the room. The bald muscleman was eating the meat and his black-haired companion was watching Illyana and the entire incident with dwarves.

"She is really mesmerizing. Her persona attracts like bogs on Aranis. It'll be fascinating hunt." He said quietly and smiled.

The girl grabbed the mug with a cold beer. She looked at men sitting next to her with a little hesitation, then she looked at Agnar who was standing in the safe distance together with other regulars of the inn. She thought that all eyes were glued at her body and everyone was mocking her. She drank the first sip of a beer. It was exceptionally strong. After a few swallows, she felt the permeating warmth going into all parts of her body. She put the mug back on the table top, because she felt dizzy. One of bearded men drank the whole content of his glass. His two companions followed in his footsteps. They looked at the blonde with bloodshot eyes.

"Do you have enough already? Are you so weak?" He asked. Everyone three laughed.

"No!" Illyana replied loudly and returned to drinking. She knew that it wasn't ordinary Earth's beer and the competition could really be difficult exactly as Agnar tried to warn her. However she could not retreat. After a few minutes she emptied the whole mug of a beer. She felt the intense heat, dizziness become really annoying. She was waiting for the development of the situation with an anxiety. To her terror, bearded men asked for the next portion of the alcoholic beverage. This time, something with the darker color was handed to them. Men drank everything. One could tell that they started to become more and more drunk.

"We're waiting, girl!" They screamed.

Illyana raised the mug. She hesitated. Alcohol in this world was far stronger than earthly, even one innocent looking beer was terrible. And what she was going to pour into her stomach? The girl wanted to teleport herself as far from there as she could. She quickly cleared her thoughts and returned to drinking competition. This time the taste was simply unbearable, Illyana gripped the handle of the beer mug in order not to throw it away from herself. She managed to pass the next trial. World was waving in front of her eyes, she felt dizzy as if she was rotating on a merry-go-round. Three dwarves geared themselves up to leave the table.

"Where are you going? Mutant girl screamed at them.

"We can see that you have enough. We don't want to kill you, girl." One of them replied smiling. Illyana hit the table with both fists.

"It's not true! Give me the next!" She shouted and jumped suddenly. The world whirled in front of her eyes. She lost consciousness and hit the table. The dwarf standing closest to her scratched his beard. He pointed his hand at the boy. Agnar came up to him cautiously.

"Your woman really impressed us. She is strong and she passed our trial. You can come tomorrow to the prince and take the job." The bearded man patted Agnar on the back and then he pointed at the girl. "Meet with us in the morning... if she survives the night..." The dwarf smiled. Second one of the guards also turned to the young man.

"Take care of her now. She will have the hard night and a morning."

Meanwhile the pale black-haired man looked at the blonde from the second end of the room.

"You are a real treasure to discover, girl." He thought.

Agnar carried the unconscious girl to the rented room and put her gently on the bed. He fixed his eyes on her sleeping face.

"This beer is as poison for people..." He said to himself. He sat on a stool and started to search the bag.

"Fortunately Korus supplied me with different kinds of herbs." He thought reaching for healing plants familiar to him.

Meanwhile a dark night reigned over a quiet sea on which the galleon commanded by Azureus was sailing slowly. Aboard the vessel, funeral service for crew members who fell during the insane attack of the priestess was coming to an end. The majority of dead sailors was returned to the sea depths, only remains of the captain were left on the board, because it was a custom he had to leave her board last. All crew members were standing mutely on one side of the ship, around the wooden plank on which their captain was lying down motionlessly. His corpse was carefully wrapped up in the flag decorated with the huge figure of the golden eagle. Azureus dressed in the uniform of Queen's knight with a bright cape and an eagle painted on its fabric was standing in the central point of the assembly. He had one hand on the sling, the second one raised above his head, he was holding the wooden sculpture of the Sun. Tazia was sitting a dozen steps from the corpse where she couldn't see it. She could not bear its presence. Azureus raised the wooden sun once again. Four sailors lifted up the casket with the body of their commander.

"Son of the sea, great warrior. You gave your life defending people who our Queen entrusted you with care, defending her name and fighting for your own land of the birth to the bitter end. Your attitude provided you the place in the memory of all inhabitants of our state engulfed in the holy light! Let your ghost go to the well-deserved eternal rest in the world of the eternal light of never-ending power of our Lord! I, the knight of the Queen and representative of the Great Priest, ask Lord of Light to accept you to his kingdom and gave you happiness which you deserve! Depths, which kept you company in every hour of your life, will be your grave!" The man lowered the hand in which he held the sun.

Sailors moved the corpse of the captain to the side and they dropped it off into the dark depths of the sea. The utter silence interrupted only by a monotonous noise of waves prevailed for a few minutes. Azureus acknowledged that he should finish the ceremony and having turned commenced the return walk to his cabin. Talks began amongst sailors.

"Bring alcoholic beverages! We must say goodbye to our companions with a song!" Somebody cried out.

"And to drink for their souls!" Other man added.

"And for the future of our savior!" Other crew member shouted. A few sailors screamed in Tazia's direction. They wanted her to say goodbye to the dead together with them and in their style. The girl didn't know how to react. After a moment of thought she ran to the captain's cabin. She found Azureus sitting at the desk submerged in total darkness.

"Why are you here?" Long-haired man asked her.

"I don't know, somehow celebrating after such a tragedy doesn't suit me."

"These people think that any other goodbye would offend their friends. Same as your behavior now. They chose you as the patron of this ship. You must go there, even if it's just for a moment." The man announced not even looking at his friend. The girl was silent. She clenched fists.

"I don't feel like partying now..." Azureus moved closer to her distance, but was still plunged in darkness.

"For these sailors, celebration is a way to forget about tragedies which met them yesterday. Perhaps you should try their way?" She said. After a few seconds he added briefly:

"Go there Tazia. Forget about everything for a moment." Black-haired girl left the cabin hesitating all the time. She went down wooden stairs slowly to the part of the vessel in which sailors gathered. One of them noticed the girl and he ran up to her quickly.

"Here you are! Excellent! We'll sing the ballad about our captain! Let him hear us in the land of the light!" He said almost screaming. Tazia smiled and moved in the direction of men.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sun was slowly rising above the wooden inn which stood in the outskirts of Aranis town. In spite of the early time, the group of merchants stopped by force by the local master squirmed around the building and guards were watching the surroundings so nobody left the town without the permission obtained directly from the town hall. The day got up also for travellers who decided to spend the night in guest rooms of the "The Fat Pig" inn. However not everyone greeted it with a joy in the heart and Illyana Rasputin definitely didn't welcome it. The girl had won the only of the kind duel with dwarves the day before and after opening her eyes she became convinced that it was a Pyrrhic victory for her. Woken up by the crowing of a cock coming from behind the window, the blonde tried to sit down on the bed. The head ached her terribly, her thoughts were just one great confusion, mix of images and sounds not related to each other. She looked around, trying to remind herself what had happened at the night. The fact that she had agreed to perform some task was the last thing which she remembered. What was she forced to do and with whom had she spent the last night - she could not find the engram in the memory which would answer those questions. Agnar who was sleeping on the corridor, hearing the noise coming from the room decided to look into it. He was glad that the girl had regained consciousness, he had been worried about her health and the life for the entire night - his companion with golden hair could at worst end up in a coma after the dose of the strongest dwarves' alcohol. The boy looked at the girl and he was sure that she preferred not to wake up. Illyana had pale-green complexion and slit eyes.

"Agnar..." She whispered.

"Close this window, because the Sun is dazzling me terribly. And my head is aching". She added louder after a moment. The boy did what she had asked him for, he slid back old rags hanging above the window thanks to which the inflow of the light to the inside was cut away.

"I'm not going to ask how you're feeling..." Agnar said sitting down on the girl's bed.

"You must pull yourself together, Illyana. We have the appointment! The cockerel is crowing, the dawn broke a long time ago!"

"Remind me later to strip its feathers!" The girl announced clutching the head. After a moment she lay down pressing the face to the pillow.

"Wake me up in two days." She said turning to the wall.

"Oh no, you won't do it to me. It was your idea, so you'll be talking to the prince, not me! Get up! We're going!" Agnar forced his travel companion to sit.

"Pull yourself together girl!" He shouted shaking her body.

"I'm not feeling well. If you don't stop to shake me, I'll puke". The blonde warned the boy. Agnar disgusted with her reaction got up and came up to the wall. Illyana smiled to him.

"Well, ok... I'm going... or at least I'll try." She announced rising from the bed. She tidied up her hair, the shirt and trousers.

"But I didn't joke. I'm feeling really sick. I feel I'm going to vomit after all..."

"Don't do it here! Run behind the inn!" Black-haired man became enraged, but he understood after a moment, that the girl had been ill, poisoned with something which human should not put to the mouth. He gently touched her shoulder.

"Illyana, let us walk outside". He said quietly.

"I don't need help!" The blonde announced harshly and left the room banging the door.

Agnar was walking all over the room trying to gather his thoughts and after a moment he moved to the corridor. Going in the direction of the stairwell, he noticed the sleeping drunk with bearded face and red nose. The boy found himself in the inn which was desolate. The fat wife of the inn's owner was cleaning wooden tables with dirty rag humming something under the nose. Noticing the boy, she stopped working and smiled to him.

"I can see that you're an early bird. my darling!" She shouted to him waving the cloth.

"It's better to welcome the day at an early time". Didn't you see the young girl, slim body and golden hair?"

"Ah, I could see, I could see... she left from here so quickly like the Immortal Rider himself was chasing her. And she was green as old frog-hag from bogs, hey hey!" The woman laughed returning to the cleaning. The boy left the inn, where the singing of birds and the quarrel of some drunk merchant with guards reaching from a distance greeted him. Agnar started looking all around for his companion. "Illyana! Where are you!" He asked loud enough it was possible to hear him in the most immediate surroundings.

"Illyana!" He cried out even louder. Impatient, he sat down on the stone sticking out beyond the grass.

"Where the hell did you disappear?" He said to himself. After a few minutes, Illyana appeared on the road leading to the inn and seeing the boy waiting for her she moved to his side. She was pale as the ghost, her step was hesitant betraying that she was weakened very much. She sat down on the stone beside Agnar hiding her head in hands.

"Illyana, do you feel better?" The black-haired man asked her looking at her from the side.

"No, I don't". The girl replied harshly. She swept hair aside from the head.

"Head is aching me all the time and I have damn stomach cramps. Like somebody was twisting it".

"I warned you. If you had listened to me, you would have been ok now".

"Leave me alone... better give me something, you know a lot about herbs, I managed to notice..."

"You'll swallow nothing". Agnar announced getting up from the stone.

"Are we going?" He asked.

"Yes". Illyana answered. They both moved in the direction of the city centre and the town hall. The girl was two steps behind her companion all the time, giving away with her physique that she felt really bad. Agnar was walking in the silence listening closely to footsteps of the blonde. At some point he stopped, because the sound of her feet didn't come to his ears. The boy turned around noticing that Illyana stood in the middle of the road looking at him with sad eyes.

"Agnar, I'm feeling sick again. Go farther, I'll catch up with you..." Black-haired boy clutched his head.

"If you're going to throw up under every bush, we won't reach the town hall even at the dusk." He said to himself, but loud enough that the girl could hear it.

The main square of Aranis port was little, surrounded from every side by cylindrical towers made of big stones, housing flats of the richest village's residents. The town hall was the building of average size resembling the castle assembled from two round towers connected by a cuboidal structure which was built from the same grey stones as towers. It was surrounded with moat into which water from nearby bogs was poured a long time ago. There was no large crowd on the market apart from a few municipal guards walking between buildings. Agnar and Illyana came to the huge wooden door leading to the interior of the town hall. Moustachioed man armed with a sword came up to them.

"We have an appointment with the prince. We' re mercenaries". Agnar said.

"What are your names?" The man with a big moustache asked.

"I'm Agnar and she's... Illyana". The boy replied seeing that the girl didn't intend to answer.

"Indeed. The prince expects people with these names". The man scratched his moustache. He opened the huge door letting travellers in. The inside of the building was the same cold and severe as outside walls, there were no ornaments inside it apart from the torches and the skins of a bears hanged here and there. Three dwarves, well-known from the day before, came up to the boy and the blonde. Seeing a paleface of the girl and her gloomy face, all three of them burst out laughing.

"I can see that you survived the night!" One of them shouted.

"You had to have the most beautiful morning!" The second one added.

"I'll show you right away how beautiful it was if you don't get out of my sight!" The girl said clenching her fist. A fireball which she wanted to throw at the dwarf turned up in her thoughts. The bearded short man calmed her simultaneously getting hold of the axe attached to the belt.

"You didn't come here to quarrel with us! The prince is waiting for you!" He announced pointing at the door with gilded door handles lying in the opposite side of the corridor. Pushed by the strong hand of the dwarf, the door opened with a bang, showing the figure of the prince waiting for mercenaries in his throne room. Man sitting on the wooden throne looked at his guests fleetingly and then signaled to his guards to leave his chamber and left him alone with two of travellers. He was a middle-aged man, with moustachioed face and red nose. He was dressed in leather and had the sword with the hilt decorated by the bat's shape. The master settled himself more comfortably in his chair, he looked at Illyana.

"They told me what heroic deed you had made yesterday in the inn, girl!" He spoke to the blonde. Mutant girl clenched her teeth with an anger.

"I'm impressed". The man with a big moustache smiled showing his dirty teeth.

"How are you called?" He asked seriously after a moment.

"I'm Agnar from the village to the south of Aranis. And she is..." The boy replied.

"Illyana Rasputin. I came from... Tarania". The girl added quickly thinking the reply up.

"We're ready to take the assignment, of course only for fair payment". The boy announced.

"I know, I know..." The master whispered unwillingly rising from his throne. He started walking about the chamber going around his guests every few minutes.

"I am Rufon ar Arcalc ad Aranis, but you should already know this. I am the rightful owner of this city and the land surrounding it up to the cursed bogs of frog people. My ancestors wielded the Arcalc necklace - the symbol of the power on the island from many generations and now this treasure belongs to me, anyway it still belonged a few days ago".

"We learnt about it from the letter to mercenaries. Your daughters were also kidnapped, my prince. I said, we come here to regain the necklace and free girls. We'll begin our search as soon as you pass the most essential information on to us, my prince". Agnar said.

Illyana didn't say a word trying to focus on the dialogue and not to keep an eye on her aching head. Rufon sat down on the throne, he hunched like being afraid of next sentence.

"This matter isn't as simple as it seems to you, young mercenary". He replied being lost in thoughts.

"I know very well who stole the necklace from me and kidnapped both princesses. It was Harold, commander of guards of the city, also belonging to the Arcalc family. This devious toad who I trained to be the warrior, he's paying me back this way now! After years of treating him like my own son!" The man stopped the conversation in order to drink the wine from the jug standing on the table in front of the throne.

"As you see the matter is of the special importance and I cannot send my own guard to regain the necklace and got my daughters back from this blindworm! It would trigger the war in the city, between my subjects and guards which are faithful to Harold. This atrocious blindworm counts on it all the time, he hid himself in his stronghold on bogs and he's waiting for the provocation from my side! I cannot risk... it isn't obvious how many people will stand up at his side... My city could end up in flames and he would build a new one on its ruins, making himself the only master". The prince drank the wine from the jug again.

"Therefore I gathered all these merchants here. He won't do the next step, when there are so many foreigners here, he won't risk the anger of the guild from Tarania and other lands from the Continent. Some people say that even the Knight of the Queen was in our city! But returning to your task, it must look like the attack of ordinary robbers... attack directed by greed done by people, for which there are no rules. You must get to his castle seen by nobody and take my necklace away from this blindworm!" Rufon fell into a pensive mood.

"And of course rescue my angels..." He added after a moment.

"And what our payment will be? It's very dangerous task..." The boy asked.

"50,000 in gold coins". The moustachioed master replied.

"Is it much?" Illyana asked Angar whispering into his ear.

"Girl, we'll be able to buy the ship!" He answered her with undertone.

"And what? Are you taking it?" Rufon asked the question.

"Yes. We'll take it". Agnar announced. The prince reached for the jug of wine again.

"But remember you aren't the only one who decided to take this quest. Many would be able to throw themselves into the emptiness between worlds for such a money. You can have the considerable competition, pay attention to the backs!"

"We'll get by". The boy replied preparing to leave.

"And one more thing. I don't really care me how you will settle this matter. But if this blindworm ends up in the bog with the cut throat I can be even more generous, remember about it!" Rufon said to the boy. One of servants of the town hall - short, grey guy with the moustache, led the couple of travellers to the old, dusty room, where he gave them the map of the Aranis island with the marked way to Harold's stronghold. Illyana and Agnar vacated the building encountering cutting remarks and the laughter of dwarves walking in the vicinity gates again.

"Illyana, what did you do to me this time?" The boy asked rhetorically.

"This time you agreed to do it, I kept quiet all the time." The girl replied.

"Are you feeling better?" The boy changed the subject.

"Mu head hurts, but at least the battle inside my stomach has already ended".

"That's great. We're going to the inn and then to the stronghold of this Harold guy, right?"

"It's really stupid idea. You'll gain nothing if you go there unprepared". The quiet voice sounded from behind the back of the girl. The blonde turned away seeing familiar Flaroth's and his companion Urghork's faces.

"What are you doing here? Did you follow us?" She asked.

"Of course not!. We took the task of regaining the Arcalc necklace." The pale man replied showing the rolled up map to the girl. His large, bald friend nodded his head.

"But now we know that you also want to cope with this job". He added calmly.

"Maybe we can join our forces? Your young bodies are bursting with an energy, but you are lacking experience... however we... we have already had a lot of adventures behind us. Together we certainly won't lose!" Urghork showed scars on his shoulder and the sword attached to the belt. Flaroth smiled looking into Illyana's blue eyes.

"Ok". The girl replied turning her head away from his hypnotic eyesight. Agnar looked at her surprised.

"I'm in a very bad shape. Any help will be good for us". The blonde whispered to the boy's ears.

"In that case everything is settled. We'll catch this rogue who is trying to deprive prince Rufon of the throne together." Flaroth announced nodding to the girl. Urghork scratched his head in amazement, musing on something. In the end, he dragged his companion aside and looked at him with the gaze full of irritation.

"You said that two of us share the gold equally! How are we supposed to divide it equally, if there's four of us?" Black-haired man smiled and patted the friend on the shoulder.

"You'll get your payment, beloved Urghork. Even more than you can imagine". Flaroth calmed the comrade coming back to Agnar and the blonde.

"And you, my friends? We'll return to the inn for horses and then we're moving"! He said to them gladly.

After eating the meal, from which Illyana resigned, longer rest in the room and watering horses, the group went to the countryside. Guards didn't stop them seeing Aranis' maps pinned to their belts. They got the direct order from the prince to let everyone having such a document with his own personal signature at disposal out. Travelling the road full of mud made after recent downpours, travellers got to thick forest behind which, according to the map given by Rufon, the garrison in which the commander of municipal guards lived was built. Flaroth told the group that he had had the plan of getting to the building, but he wanted to carry it out in the evening. The team had a lot of time to hear its details and prepare to it physically and spiritually. Having found the forest clearing which housed two big, rotten and covered with moss trunks of blown down trees, everyone tied their horses up and rested on wooden logs. Flaroth asked them to come closer to him and he started revealing his idea.

"We'll be acting in two groups, I and Urghork will be playing travelling merchants, we'll enter the building directly through the entrance gate. However you, you'll get to the castle imperceptibly and on your own you'll find princesses. When we cause the confusion, you'll lead them to the safe place. Leave the necklace for two of us".

"Why are we supposed to do the harder job?" Agnar asked.

"You're completely wrong young man. The art of the lie is much more difficult than the art of creeping and acting secretly. Apart from that, I said I had much greater experience and also knowledge of people and their attitudes and behaviours. I know very well how to play the meeting. And you're younger, faster, smaller than my friend Urghork..."

"But why you are sure that we'll be able to enter there unnoticeably?"

"If not, causing the adequate confusion will be on my head, if it's necessary, we'll use the magic". "Yeah ok... And where will we meet after everything?"

"Don't worry, simply run off with girls as far as you can. We'll find you". Urghork nodded his head signalling, that he had agreed with the friend.

"And now... we must drink for the success of our mission". He replied taking the bottle out from behind the belt. After drinking a few sips he directed the flask to the blonde. Illyana signalled with the hand that she didn't intend to take the bottle and Agnar followed her example.

"That's your loss, it'll be more for us. It's real wine rather than poison of dwarves. It has water from crystal-clear streams of Arillon". He announced passing the flask to Urghork.

"And perhaps you'll tell me something about yourselves?" He suggested.

"I'm just an ordinary guard from the Aranis village. You'll hear nothing interesting from me. My life is just patrols around bogs and sometimes chasing frog people away". Agnar said.

"And your companion?" He asked looking at Illyana's face.

"Where does she come from? Why is she trying to cross the sea? What secrets is she hiding under golden hair?" The girl was frustrated from the moment when the two of mercenaries suggested their help. Headache caused that she was annoyed and everything irritated her. She refrained herself with an effort from the escape into the forest thicket or from creating a fireball and sending it at Flaroth's direction or even better, sending him to the Limbo.

"And who are you?" Agnar asked. The mercenary dressed in black turned to his side.

"We? We're only mercenaries, pawns who mean nothing in the game which is played in all Lands, we just look for the chance to earn soething. Is it true, dear Urghork?"

"Yes, precisely, Flaroth". The bald man replied examining his sword.

"I'm travelling to Falaria. Therefore I must cross the sea". Illyana spoke surprising her friend. The face of the dark man betrayed that he had known what kind of land Falaria had been.

"It 's really interesting..." He said moving closer to the girl.

"I must get there because... I must fulfil the promise given to certain people..." The blonde had revealed her lie once again which was becoming more and more convincing.

"I cannot say anyhing more... the promise." She added after a moment looking straight in Flaroth's eyes. The man touched the girl's long hair, He gently stroke it with fingers.

"Promise, the most sacred thing. I won't be asking you about anything more. After all mercenaries cannot know about each other too much, right?" He moved the hand close to the cheek of the girl and then he touched her forehead. Agnar and Urghork stopped checking the state of their weapons and both looked at the direction of the blonde and Flaroth with jealousy. Illyana wanted to force black-haired man to withdraw his hand, but she realized with a surprise that her headache had vanished in the completely inexplicable way.

"How?" She asked.

"Small gift for the traveller". The pale man replied her smiling mysteriously.

"Magic, you're also full of it, girl." He added.

"The evening is coming..." Agnar informed looking at the sky. He wanted to move into the way forward as soon as possible, because Flaroth's presence at Illyana's side irritated him more and more. Urghork nodded his head also wanting to quickly get down to the job entrusted him.

"Have you rested enough?" The black mercenary asked the girl.

"Yes, let us walk". The blonde got up from the stump, she shook trousers from moss and headed in the direction of the place in which horses stood.

Travellers reached the place in which the stronghold belonging to the Harold stood according to Rufon's maps. They hid their horses in the vicinity of the cave overgrown with the wall of weeds and they came off into the way forward on foot. When wooden walls of the stronghold started showing themselves through trees, Flaroth stopped his companions.

"Now we must split. I and Urghork will enter the stronghold through the main gate and occupy guards with conversation. You must enter there on your own and start looking for princesses".

"But how the hell can we do it? This stronghold has only one gate!" Illyana announced looking at castle walls from behind high grass and trees. Flaroth came up to the girl noticing that the high wall had only one gate by which it was possible to get inside. He fell into a pensive mood, and then he shouted to Agnar.

"There's only one possibility. I can cast the charm of the acceleration on you. When we entertain guards with the conversation, you'll get inside. You'll be moving so quickly that you'll be only a touch of the summer wind in hair of those idiots".

"Illyana..." The boy looked at the blonde.

"We must do it. I have to return to my world". The girl answered thinking about the fact that she could get behind walls much more easily and more quickly. However she didn't want to reveal her abilities, not with four persons observing her, one of them being a wizard having magic at his disposal.

"Well... We agree". Agnar replied.

"All right. But remember, the spell won't last long. Find some shelter as soon as you get inside. You'll be on your own". The man raised his hand above the head.

"It's ready". He said. At first Illyana and Agnar felt nothing. Suddenly their senses were poured by the wave of stimuli which weren't familiar to them. Sounds flowed to them in a slow motion, the light of the setting sun was much more red than every other day. Flaroth and Urghork moved in the direction of the stronghold, but they seemed to be stationary to the boy and the girl, like statues hardened in the stillness made by some gifted artist. They soon noticed that figures were moving, but their move was incredibly slow, like the motion of everything around, including the wind rumbling above their heads. The two of mercenaries pursued up to the stronghold's gate. Urghork picked the big hammer lying beneath the wall up and hit the gong standing in the vicinity with all his might. After a few minutes a man dressed in the leather uniform of the Aranis city's guard came out of the building.

"What are you doing here? Who you are?" He asked not very politely.

"My friend..." Flaroth replied spreading hands.

"We arrived at this stronghold only for its lord, he expects our visit. I have the offer, which he won't be able to reject". The black-haired man said with a fake smile stuck to the face. He took a few colourful crystal out from behind the coat, he was rubbing them gently with the hand until they started shining.

"First class. Ready for creation of wands, sceptres, canes and other... weapons. Straight from the very heart of Arillon! Your lord won't forgive you, if you don't let me in". He announced putting jewels into the bag hidden under coat. Centuries had passed for Illyana and Agnar before the door in the wall opened and an armed man appeared in them. Illyana grasped boy's hand and she moved with him in the direction of the wooden building. When the guard closed the door, he felt a puff of wind on himself. Surprised he stopped for a moment, and then he moved into the way forward cursing something under the nose. Illyana and Agnar passed the castle made entirely of wood towering above them and hid themselves inside the shed standing behind the fortified building by the nearest wall. They felt that the charm had worn off and the reality which they perceived got back to normal. Tired from no apparent reason, they lay down on hay.

" I've never felt like this..." The boy replied panting.

"Remarkable, will we do it once again?" Illyana offered also gasping for a breath.

Flaroth was patiently waiting for the appearance of the stronghold's owner and at the same his companion was killing the time examining the surface of gong which he hit a few minutes ago. The door in the wall opened again and a tall man with black beard appeared in it.

"Who are you?" He asked looking at the mercenary dressed in black.

"I'm here because you need me, my help and my goods can be priceless for you". Flaroth replied nodding.

"What are you talking about, madman! I don't know you. I didn't wish any presence here!" Harold shouted out trying to close his doors. The black-haired mage stopped him.

"My magic crystals can serve you creating truly strong weapons. They originate in the very heart of Arillon and they are the cleanest there are. The brave warrior will certainly take advantage of the help of the experienced mage, in particular if he's trying to get the throne for himself". He whispered looking in the bearded man's eyes. The guard clenched fist touching the sword.

"What did you say?" He barked out through teeth.

"If Aranis's master arrives here in order to get rid of the rebel, the offensive magic can be really helpful, my lord". Saying the last sentence, Flaroth launched the bullet of magic fire from his hand, which reduced some little tree to ashes. The Harold swallowed nervously.

"We can somehow reach an agreement ". He said inviting men to his stronghold.

"I knew that we could achieve a lot working together ." Flaroth replied. He and Urghork disappeared behind the closing gate in the wall.

Illyana and Agnar, paying attention to the eyes of guards walking about surroundings, reached up to the small door leading to the wooden stronghold's interior. Unfortunately it turned out that they had been padlocked. The owner of the castle put no guard by them, not believing that anybody uninvited could get to the building guarded by the high wall which was possible to cross only in one place. The boy stared at the flag with golden frog on the red background which was flapping on the high mast. "Turn away!" Illyana shouted creating the bullet of magical energy in hands. Her intention was obvious, she wanted to get rid of the padlock applying entire power accessible to her. Agnar stopped her.

"Did you go mad! All guards will come here running!"

"And do you have a better idea how to come in?"

"I have". Agnar said taking the skeleton key out of the pocket. He got down to opening the padlock. "It's ready!" He announced satisfied from himself. They both crossed the threshold of the door entering the room plunged in the darkness. Illyana noticed that the floor under her feet had creaked very much, so she tried to walk slowly in order to alert nobody from the inside of the stronghold. The part of the building they found themselves in, wasn't very impressive, probably only closets and utility rooms were located there. The girl noticed a few clay vases in which spiders plaited intricately looking webs. Suddenly Agnar heard someone's steps. They came from the branch of the corridor, by which the torch was burning. As it turned out, the door with grating stood there and it was guarded by a bald man.

"Can you see it?" The boy asked with a whisper.

"Yes, it's probably an entry to dungeons. Our princesses can be there".

"And only one guard. We're lucky".

"I'll take care of him, prepare". Illyana replied.

"Wait. Illyana what do you want to do?" The girl, not listening to Agnar, went into the branch of the corridor, from where the guard could see her without any problem. She waved at him.

"Hi! Could you help me? I got lost here!"

"Who the hell are you!" The man screamed running in the direction of the girl. Agnar attacked him by fists with the intention of trouncing him. He hit the strongest he was able, but it made no impression on the bald man. The guard looked at the boy and throw fist at his face. Agnar fell down on the floor. The guard bent down to raise him and hit him again. Suddenly one of the biggest vases which were placed in the corridor was smashed on his head. The man fell down unconscious, like being struck by the lightning. Agnar rose from the floor touching his sore jaw. Illyana helped him to get up. She was smiling to him.

"Next time leave the fight to me". She said.

Flaroth sat on the armchair, covered with expensive leather, in the spacious chamber inside the stronghold of guards. He was holding gilded glass with the wine. Urghork stood near the door, attentively observing everything and everyone inside the room. Heads of animals shot by the Harold hung on walls - the wild boar, the deer and the huge toad as well as two crossed swords on the red shield. Red flag with the image of the frog was hung opposite to it. The big window was placed on the third wall and the fireplace in which red flames were dancing was built on the last one. There were few people in the chamber, apart from the two mercenaries, Harold, his two subordinates and the woman in the black dress with long, dark hair and pretty face. A gilded, richly ornamented necklace was hung on her neck.

"Tell me what you know about Rufon's plans!" Impatient Harold said.

"The Prince is preparing an army of mercenaries, which will storm this castle in one day or two. A huge award is promised for your head and regaining the necklace and daughters. It's so big that even I agreed to accept this task." Flaroth announced gladly. Face of the Harold paled, the man put his glass with the wine back to the table. He sat down on the armchair by the mage and the mysterious woman with black hair immediately came up to him. She rested her hands on his shoulders, wanting him to calm down.

"I could see many of my old acquaintances, also wizards amongst mercenaries. The ones which you would never like to meet in the dark street. They're bloodthirsty beings who won't stop even after the money are given to them. Someone says that the Immortal Rider has been seen in Aranis surroundings.." The bearded man became even paler.

"I didn't think that this bastard could even take advantage of his help..." He said quietly to his companion.

"However I'm interested only in what the merciful prince will pay me for. The necklace, two daughters and nothing more. And it seems to me, that two of these things I've already found." The black-haired man announced looking at the girl with the golden necklace.

"Am I right?" He asked.

"Yes. I am Arletta ar Arcalc ad Aranis, older daughter of prince Rufon! And it's my ancestral treasure!" The woman demonstrated the golden object hung on the neck.

"It seems to me that story about her kidnapping was made up".

"Arletta brought me Aranis' treasure and she brought her younger sister who is a guest of our stronghold. She offered me the plan on which I agreed without the moment of the thought". Harold said. The girl clenched her fists, she ran up to the mage being full of anger.

"My father should give the throne back a long time ago! Aranis is falling into the total ruin under his rule! He cares only about himself, his wealth and the council of the city living in the luxury, while the rest of the population must live from what they manage to earn or to scrounge from overseas merchants! We don't have even own farmlands, because bogs are becoming bigger and bigger with every passing year, frog people's number is increasing tremendously and they'll be so many of them that they'll drive us out of our houses with an ease!" The girl had the intense energy and the enthusiasm for the accomplishment of her plans, Flaroth watched her unusual performance with the interest.

"Having Aranis in my hands, I could conduct the necessary changes in the state. All representatives of the population would have a seat in the council, we would be close to their problems. The army would be formed from the guard, we would convert bogs into arable lands and race frog people off deep into the swamps. We would be strong enough to become independent of Tarania, now this idiot Rufon takes gold from people only to pay taxes for the Queen". Harold said. The girl interrupted him again. "We would become more powerful than them and we would occupy the Temple"! Arletta shouted out. "Arletta, the fantasy is taking you too far". The bearded man tried to calm her.

"Why not? Rumours about the mysterious Clan of the Night who oppose Priests can be heard. It'll be enought for us to make strong allies". The girl replied.

"I'm not interested in politics but only in the gold. If you're able to pay me more than Rufon, I will protect you". The black-haired magus announced calmly.

"How many?" The bearded man asked hesitantly.

"50,000 gold coins". Flaroth decided to suggest other arrangement, seeing confusion of the throne usurpers.

"Of course I can agree on something else. You're exceptionally beautiful woman Arletta..." He looked straight at brown eyes of the girl. She moved away from him with a disgust. Urghork hawked dissatisfied with the proposal of his companion.

"Don't be offended Arletta, but I thought about somebody younger..." Flaroth said watching the assembled company. Harold was surprised, since Arletta was a quite young person, but after a moment he understood what the mage meant.

" I can probably meet your conditions..." He replied.

"Bring the kid here!" - Arletta shouted at one of guards.

Illyana and Agnar were walking along walls of the corridor inside basements in which dungeons for prisoners were located. The smell of the mustiness and the damp was hanging there and the total darkness prevailed , because torches lighting the place were placed only close the front door. Majority of cells was abandoned, prisoners hadn't been locked in them for ages. Illyana led with the instinct came up to the only door which were locked. She knocked it.

"Is someone there?" She asked. She heard the rustle and then stamp of feet.

"Who are you?" The girlish, youthful sounding voice sounded.

"Are you a daughter of the prince?" The blonde asked.

"Yes, I'm Kassina, did my dad sent you? You came to free me?" The voice muffled by the big, wooden door asked,

"Yes, Kassina, walk away farthest from the door as you can. Hide yourself in the corner and cover the head, ok?" The girl asked.

"Illyana..." Agnar stopped her again.

"Calm down, nobody will hear me from here. Besides..." Illyana's eyes became red.

"Nobody will be holding the girl prisoner in the dark, dirty place". She announced with a firm voice. Mutant girl gathered the magical energy around the hand and she hurled it at the padlock in the door. When metal cracked breaking down into two parts, the black-haired girl ran out of the cell. She had perhaps 14 - 15 years and was dressed in the grey, plain dress. Having seen Illyana and Agnar he almost burst out crying.

"Thank you! My sister, it was my sister who kidnapped me!" Kassina started talking how she was taken to the stronghold.

"It complicates the situation a little bit". Agnar replied after he learnt that Arletta hadn't been a victim but a perpetrator of kidnapping her own sister and the theft.

"How will we leave?" Kassina asked looking at the boy.

"You will go nowhere!" The man who appeared in a corridor one minute ago, shouted out.

"Try nothing stupid, or small one will die. The crossbow is aimed right in the middle of her head". He added after a moment. A few guards appeared, two of them kept crossbows ready for the shot.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The situation inside the wooden stronghold of city guards was really tense. Harold, Arletta and their armed subordinates guarding Illyana, Agnar and young Kassina as well as Flaroth and his close friend Urghork were gazing at each other looking forward to one gesture from the other side, the smallest provocation which would give them the reason to start a fight. Seconds of the tension turned into minutes and the moment of silence seemed to be endless. Harold lost the patience, he hit the table with a glass of wine trying to frighten the dark sorcerer. Flaroth didn't move even one centimeter, he also didn't get rid of a mocking smile.

"What is the meaning of all of this! Who are they?" The bearded man shouted expecting quick replies.

"I don't have a clue. I've seen them for the first time... and do you know them dear Urghork?" The magus asked his companion.

"No..." The bald giant denied.

"Who are you!" Harold asked. The blonde and her friend didn't answer him, keeping an enigmatic expressions on their faces. They communicated by eyes and agreed to remain calm as long as possible to ensure the safety of the teenage daughter of Aranis' ruler.

"I told you the prince is gathering the army of mercenaries against you. Can they be their first wave? Not very experienced ones, if they let catch themselves so quickly". Flaroth announced after a moment of thought. The girl was furious hearing these words, but she refrained herself from any move, because she believed that her new buddy had some plan which he hadn't revealed to her earlier. Kassina was looking at everything with a great concern, trying to find the comfort in the eyes of her sister. Arletta turned back not wanting to establish any contact with her younger sibling. Agnar also didn't dare to make a move seeing crossbows pointed at the back of Illyana's and Kassina's heads.

"In that case, I must show that I'm not afraid of them!" Harold said taking the sword out of the scabbard. He came up to the blonde and put the cold steel on her neck. The girl moved, she wanted to use her abilities to free herself, but she knew that then the young princess would die on the spot.

"Are we going to throw them into the dungeon, my lord?" The man guarding Agnar asked.

"No... they must serve as an example for others trying to go into their tracks". The bearded man replied. He rested his hands on Illyana's shoulders pushing her body to the wall.

"I'll behead you here, by your companion, by that child, unless you tell me what this idiot Rufon is planning!" He screamed directly to the girl's ears. Mutant smiled provoking him to intensify his nervous behavior.

"Is the situation in which you are entertaining you? Rufon is sending madmen after me!" Harold was red with an anger.

"In that case, perhaps your death will loosen the second thug's tongue?" He announced looking at the girl and later at Agnar.

"Wait!" Flaroth ordered getting up from the chair.

"What do you mean again?" The impatient owner of the stronghold asked. His sword went toward the neck of the girl again. Mage came up to his bald companion.

"I and my friend don't like the competition. They tried to seize the award, which only we deserve, for themselves. Apart from that, if you'll grant my request, my prince..." He stopped in order to point at black-haired Kassina. The girl trembled seeing his hypnotic gaze, she felt as if hundreds of microscopic needles of ice were struck into her body. She knew instinctively that the mystic aura around the man concealed something ominous, some dark secret which should never see the daylight.

".. I'll be working for you. Therefore let my Urghork take the life of these poor things". The mage completed his sentence.

"Whatever. They don't want to say anything, their fate is not important to me". Harold replied reluctantly turning away from the girl and simultaneously sheathing his sword. Urghork approached Illyana, he smiled to her crookedly showing teeth full of losses. He took the huge sword out of the scabbard and waved it toward the girl with all his might. The blade passed by Illyana's golden haired head hitting the guard holding crossbow who stood next to the mutant. The man with a big moustache fell down on the floor after one strong and directed straight into the throat blow. Harold and Arletta's faces were marked by terror. The bearded man ordered the second man with the weapon to kill Kassina. The order was never carried out, because the guard fell down dead paralysed with lightning which Flaroth released from his hand.

"Illyana! Take the girl and escape from here! The second daughter is our enemy!" The mage shouted. The blonde summoned her sword of souls and right after it she took Kassina's hand.

"We're going!" She said to her confidently. Second guard shook off the shock in which he was after seeing his friends dead: one with the cut throat and the second one electrocuted by the lightning. He moved in Illyana's direction trying to prevent her from the escape. Agnar took the sword out of the scabbard and approaching the opponent he got into the fight.

"Illyana, go first, I'll catch up with you!" He shouted protecting himself from blows of the man's weapon.

"You nasty rat! You rubbish!" Harold looked at Flaroth with a great hate. He took the sword out and not paying heed to his own safety, he moved to the dark mage. Black-haired man took out the bag full of loose, dark brown substance and sprayed powder around Harold with a quiet smile on the face. The weapon of the man became reddish brown and corroded in a short time. Aghast Harold turned away hearing horrifying scream behind his back.

"Uaaaaa!" Urghork was waving his sword and at the same time shouting inhuman cries. His steel reached the rusted weapon of the municipal guards' commander breaking it into small, corroded splinters. Everyone forgot about Arletta because of the heat of the fight raging all around the hall. The girl went to the other end of the room in which the exit door from the chamber was located. Seen by no one, she got to the other part of the stronghold and after the short time she came back with reinforcements, group of guards armed in swords and crossbows. Moreover, the woman alerted the entire stronghold that their prisoner, her sister, ran off with some girl with golden hair and informed that every warrior stationed in the castle had to seek them out and stop them by force. Arletta, seeing her lover in danger, ordered two guards to shoot the sorcerer. Crossbows were aimed at him instantly. Urghork noticed that his companion had been in the grave danger, he stopped his fight against Harold and immediately went to his aid. Men launched two wooden arrows as sharp as steel knives.

"Flaroth!" The bald giant shouted and covered the mage with his large, fleshy body. Sharp arrows stuck into his huge back, sinking in it up to the half of its size. Urghork howled with a pain like mad bear hit by a hunter.

"My dear..." Flaroth said sadly. The bald man clenched his teeth and the fire of wildness appeared in his eyes, frenzy, as if an imprisoned element of the nature lived in them, which was going to get out in a short time and cause immesureable carnage. It happened, all bonds which caused that the warrior had self control over his behavior were torn to shreds. The bald man attacked opponents like roaring avalanche. The fast move of his sword decapitated one of the guards. Blood splashed wooden walls of the building and faces of other warriors frozen in terror. Arletta ran up to Harold, she clenched his hand firmly.

"Let us escape! This monster will kill everyone!" The both run from Urghork's frenzy, who was killing other fighters. At the same time Agnar showed that he was able to fight with people as efficiently as with frogs from swamps, winning the duel against his enemy. The man was kneeling on the floor holding wound on his hand. The boy averted his gaze from the atrocity happening a few meters from him and ran through the door, which Illyana vacated earlier. Meanwhile the blonde was running along long corridor seeking the way out of the stronghold. The young princess was trying to keep up with her with an effort, she was tired out and breathless. Illyana knew that she could not stop, because it would mean the death for her. Suddenly the group of guards appeared before her.

"Here they are!"

"Mistress Arletta ordered to catch them!" They screamed taking swords out.

"Damn it!" Illyana swore gearing up for the fight.

"Hide behind me!" she said to Kassina, who was looking with a terror at men with unshaven faces and their hands keeping long and sharp swords. Hearing Illyana's words, the girl obediently moved back by few steps and take the place between the wall and her older friend.

"Let us go! I strongly recommend you!" The blonde warned assailants. They laughed at her loudly.

"I wonder what can you do to us! You're only one girl, there is three of us and it'll be more right away! Your men are most probably dead, killed by the hand of our commander!" One of them announced to the girl, quickening the pace in the direction of young mutant.

"You wanted it!" The girl gathered the light globule around the hand and formed three balls of magical energy, in the same shape as during the first day of her travel all over that unusual lands. Spells were thrown in the direction of the floor, the wall and the ceiling in the vicinity of men. Illyana deliberately didn't want to hit people, being afraid that she could kill them with an ease. Exploding bullets scattered rain of dust and wooden splinters all around, wounding guards and slowing down their march towards girls. The blonde caught Kassina by the hand and ran with her in direction of the cloud of dust hovering over stunned guards. When both girls left to the extensive courtyard in front of the building, the bald muscleman with the scar on the face rushed at Illyana, trying to hurt her with his sword. Mutant girl blocked blows aimed at her with the help of the weapon which she summoned by subconscious order and fragments of silver armour appearing on various parts of her body effectively protecting her from hurt. After a few minutes of the scramble, the blonde managed to defeat her opponent turning him over on two wooden barrels.

"Kassina, let us escape from here!" She said to black-haired girl noticing horses tied to wooden poles standing on the opposite site of the courtyard. Suddenly the wooden arrow flew by her face and hit the wall behind her emitting characteristic clang sound. The girl froze, she looked up at the stronghold which she had left a moment ago. She noticed two men standing in windows. One of them loaded the crossbow, the second one was ready for the shot, he aimed at the blonde smiling widely.

"Kassina! Come back to the building!" Illyana shouted to the princess disorientated by all the events. On moment later, Agnar appeared in the courtyard and the guard launched wooden arrow from the crossbow. Illyana closed her eyes, knowing that she didn't have the smallest chance to dodge such a fast bullet. She had to trust the armour which saved her life several times before. The bullet rushed at her direction, aimed directly between her eyes. The diadem with two silver horns, shining with bright glitter, appeared on the girl's head. The arrow didn't have a chance to touch the skull of the girl, because it was smashed into hundred of pieces after it was sunk in the light of the diadem. Agnar stunned by the unusual view could not make any move and frightened Kassina disappeared behind his back. Illyana looked at two soldiers pointing the crossbow in her direction. Her eyes became red and fangs sticking out beyond the line of teeth turned up at her mouth. Flames which formed into the fiery bow danced around the girl's hands. Mutantka sent her own arrows made entirely out of the fire toward guards. Men were hurt painfully, they fell out of windows to the courtyard, where they were rolling around on sand in order to extinguish flames consuming their clothes. Agnar looked at her companion hugging frightened Kassina.

"Who are you..." He whispered.

"We must from here escape, we have the task to do... " The blonde replied not turning in his direction.

The appearance of the main chamber of the watchtower made the people think of images of fields on which the bloodiest battles had taken place. The floor, walls and even the ceiling turned red with litres of blood an the addition of human internal organs' pieces and cut off limbs, dead bodies lay all around - bodies without limbs, without heads, with eviscarated bellies and chests and beheaded heads whose faces froze in a wince of pain and terrors rolled in a few places. Unfortunately not everyone had enough fortune to die quickly, some of them were dying feeling excruciating torments, swimming in their own intestines and being imprisoned in broken ribcages and crushed skulls. Large bald warrior, the creator of the terrible scenery was kneeling in the very center of it, shivering out of fear and saying something to himself. Urghork's body was red from blood, his own as well as opponents' killed by him and his sword was stuck in the corpse lying closest his feet. Flaroth kneeled by the muscleman, embracing him and using the spell of cure and calmess on him.

"It's ok, my beloved Urghork... it's all over... they were evil people, they deserved your anger". The magus quietly whispered to his companion.

"Let my power heal your physical wounds and your smashed psyche". Flaroth increased intensity of his magic.

"Leave me here..." The bald man said. He didn't look at his companion, he also ignored his words. After the rage and burning down the entire energy he had to kill all his opponents, the man didn't have enugh strength even to get up.

"No, you cannot give up! We have the job to do!" The magus shouted sensing that Urghork fell into the condition of the total apathy.

"Do you remember? The Arcalc necklace and two daughters of the prince". The bald man ignored his words. Flaroth took the map out of a bag showing it to the giant.

"Princesses and the necklace. Gold! You remember, we share the reward evenly!" The black-haired man spoke in raised voice in order to tear his friend from talons of the indifference.

"And then... we have the next task". He took magic crystal out of the bag and he rubbed it showing him the figure of Azureus talking about the award and Illyana, foreigner's with golden hair. A spark of the interest appeared in the eyes of the muscleman.

"Will we share equally?" Urghork reacted at last.

"Yes, yes! Let us walk from here before more soldiers appear". Flaroth replied helping the giant to get up off the floor.

Illyana approached the place in which horses stood and she didn't turn her head toward the boy or Kassina accompanying him, who was more horrified with the blonde's appearance and abilities than with the fact that she could lose her life from hands of crossbowmen a few minutes ago. Agnar asked the princess to stay in her place and came up to the mutant girl. The girl looked at him expressing anxiety and embarrassment. Her eyes returned to the normal, light blue colour so Agnar felt relief.

"Illyana..." The boy tried to start the conversation but Russian girl hushed him up.

"We must get out from here as soon as possible. More guards will come running". The girl was worn out by the transformation she had suffered and use of sophisticated offensive spells. In the same moment Harold and Arletta ran out from the other part of the stronghold. Agnar assumed a defensive position and Illyana created the ball of the magical energy in the hand.

"You destroyed everything, you idiots! For a money which are worth nothing! You have blood on your hands monsters!" The black-haired woman screamed running up to the Russian. The boy barred the bearded man's way, in order to prevent the one coming close the princess.

"I killed nobody!" Illyana said firmly gearing up for the fight. She looked at guards lying on the earth, unconscious and burnt but all alive.

"You'll pay us for everything!" Arletta ran up to the blonde with a huge speed, she hit her causing that the girl lost the concentration and the prepared charm spilt out into the nothingness. She pushed her the strongest she was able, turning her over to dirty land. Agnar tried to run up to his friend, but the speed of Harold and his excellent artistry of using the sword effectively prevented him from it. Black-haired boy fell down on his knees clutching his shoulder on which a trickle of fresh blood started flowing. Harold jumped on the horse and after a moment later, he helped Arletta to find her place on the horse's back too. Kassina blocked their way, she spread hands and a few tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Arletta! Why are you doing this? Don't leave me alone here!" The girl tried to establish the contact with the older sister again. Arletta whispered something to the ear of her lover not looking at the face of the young princess. The man forced the horse to a gallop, directing it straight at the black-haired girl. Horrified Kassina covered her face with hands waiting for the meeting with hard hooves and only Agnar's speed and reflex rescued her from wounds or even painful death. The horse with masters of the stronghold on its back run toward the entrance gate. Illyana came up to the second riding horse standing by the wall. She suddenly stopped and turned in the direction of the boy.

"Protect her, find Flaroth and Urghork and come back together to Aranis". She said with peremptory tone.

"What about you? What do you want to do?" Agnar asked simultaneously helping the princess to get up.

"Catch missing two thirds of our reward." Illyana replied jumping on the horse. When Arletta and Harold disappeared behind walls of the stronghold, guards tried to close the gate in order to prevent Illyana from an escape. The girl was prepared for such a possibility, she formed the ball sparking with its own lighting in the hand and hurled it into men. Warriors escaped in terror leaving the opened gate. The blonde looked behind for the last time thinking about people she had to left.

"They'll certainly meet Flaroth and together they'll manage to escape". She thought trying to justify her behaviour. She knew that getting the necklace had been essential for her, only this way she could leave the island and begin search the way home. After getting out of forest the girl found herself on the extensive, boggy areas, covered with thick, milk-white fog effectively reducing the visibility. Croaking of frogs, splashes in nearby bogs and penetrating squawking of the ugly bird flying high above crowns of trees were heard all around. Harold and Arletta moved away from Illyana, their horse disappeared in the mist becoming nothing more than a shadow, a silhouette of the body on the matte background stretching out until the horizon. The girl didn't want them to escape, she couldn't do it. Unfortunately the animal on which she was travelling became worn out and the ground under its hooves became sticky and more difficult to travel with appropriately high speed.

Agnar was walking along the wall holding Kassina's hand. He was shocked and upset with behavior of his companion, he didn't know what to think about her transformation and horrifying abilities. Shouts, curses and loud steps sounds were coming to his ears. Guards who survived Urghork's massacre were closer and closer to the place in which the boy stood.

"Hide behind me". Agnar said to black-haired girl. At the same moment a group of eight soldiers armed up to teeth, furious and ready for the fight surrounded him. Three of them were holding crossbows, the rest were armed with swords.

"We've found the rest of them!" One of them shouted to other men leaving the wooden building. "Those two sons of a bitch escaped, but you'll be taken to responsibility for the death of our buddies!" The guard standing closest Agnara announced.

"Don't try to fight, or the little one will lose her head!" The second man added showing golden teeth in the mouth. Kassina looked at black-haired boy with her large eyes asking him without words what to do next, she wanted him to rescue her the way he had done it before, she hoped that everything would be well again thanks to her new acquaintance, she believed in him. Unfortunately she misjudged him, because the situation was hopeless and there were too many opponents to even dream of winning. Agnar put the sword to the ground. He spread hands to surrender.

"There are too many of them, I'm sorry". He whispered to Kassina simultaneously asking her not to do anything stupid. One of guards hit the boy's back turning him over to the ground. The other man with handlebar moustache and messy hair came up to the princess and tied her hands. He did it in such a way that the girl feel pain.

"Take them into the dungeon!" The golden-toothed warrior screamed pushing Kassina in direction of Agnar who was going up from the fall.

Flaroth and Urghork, taking advantage of the confusion, escaped from the stronghold. The giant was still depressed with the fact that he had fallen in unstoptable war frenzy and killed so many people, even if they had been his opponents. Flaroth didn't share his sadness and the plan of action was formed in his head.

"What are we doing now?" The bald man asked.

"We'll do our job. The first job, for which we were here. The foreigner with golden hair left the stronghold and she came off to the marshes, totally alone, my dear Urghork. It's a treacherous place in which it's easy to get lost and never be found again. Perfect for our hunt".

"Should we not come back? Agnar doesn't have a chance, the second princess was also left there Should we not help them?" The bald man said pointing at the direction in which according to him the stronghold of guards was located.

"We cannot be in two places at one time. The poor guard of the village will have to surrender or die defending his honour and the life of the girl. Besides..." The magus patted the friend's shoulder.

"You are not going to share gold with them".

"And this Illyana, you like her Flaroth, I noticed... do you still want to catch her?" Urghork asked scratching his head in confussion.

"You can see... I like her and I'm admiring her for everything she did in this short time when we travelled together. And from my respect and the admiration for her I'll give her a hunt worth the most brave warriors. There is no retreat, I never reject job given to me, my dear Urghork..." The man replied falling into a deep pensive mood.

Illyana was inside forest growing over extensive marsh areas. The fog was so thick that the girl lost sight of the two of fugitives and her horse was walking slower not being able to make fast footsteps in such a soft ground. The blonde started cursing herself that she had let herself to be possessed by an anger and she had been lead into the trap so easily. Harold lived on bogs, he probably knew them like the back of his hand, he knew which paths were safe for travelling and which were leading into bogs and quagmires waiting for careless move of the traveller. On the other hand she was stranger in the forest thicket, she didn't belong to Aranis island or to those strange lands. She thought that the guard and his lover had observed her from behind trees, whose boughs were faintly visible in the milk-white fog, laughing and expecting that she would go the bog up and be buried in its interior for eternity. Her contemplations were stopped by shouts - the man and woman's and the dreadful neighing of the horse. Nearby birds flushed out from among the trees and bushes and flew in the direction of the girl escaping from the mysterious threat. Illyana jumped down from her riding horse, she summoned the sword of souls and then she moved in direction of alarming sounds. She entered the bog, plunged in dirty mud up to her knees and moved ahead with an effort. Sounds pursued to her ears: the shout, blows of the sword, strange smacking lips and splashes of marsh water. The girl passed quagmires to the other side, then she stopped fixing her eyes on shapes of hunched figures walking away from her. When all beings plunged into the fog, the blonde walked to them. She remembered the conversation with Agnar about frog people inhabiting bogs, could they be representatives of this species? - she thought. Suddenly a terrifying view riveted her attention. A few meters from her, in slithering roots of the growing tree, the man was lying on the edge of the bog. Harold was seriously injured, he was holding his chest in which the spear with the stone blade was stuck and his sword was glittering amongst thickets. Illyana quickly ran up to the man, kneeled by him, looking at his clothes on which bloody spot appeared.

"Arletta... they kidnapped Arletta." The man said with a huge effort.

"Wait I'll try to help you." Illyana announced thinking how to take the spear out of the man's body. The bearded man stopped her hand.

"No... too late... save Arletta, don't let her die... I beg you..." Harold whispered and these were his last words in life. The man died, because the spear seriously injured his heart. Mutant girl clenched fists feeling anger and the abominable helplessness, because she had touched the death of the person which she wasn't able to prevent once again. Agnar and the fear that he could also be killed turned up at her thoughts. After a moment the girl drove all anxieties off from her head deciding to find Arletta and rescue her. Wandering through forest she tried to stay on paths on which stones lay or to stride on roots of trees sticking out of wet ground, but there was only a few such places, therefore the blonde had been falling into boggy water and mud every couple of minutes. Her surroundings became very unpleasant and horrifying. In many places, old trees devoid of leaves grew, whose bark had misty grey colour resembling the skin of the corpse, it was possible to observe flickering flames in the distance, lights of will-o-wisps rising above quagmires. The balls of the fire with different colours from yellow to red, seeming to live their own life appeared here and there. Some of them stuck motionless above the earth, others were swinging there and back, the others seemed to bounce from the ground like rubber balls. Illyana didn't think whether they were life forms interested with her presence and trying to establish the first contact with her, spirits of the dead trying to beguile her into bogs and drown her there or just ordinary energy effect of burning of marsh gases. She didn't have the time or the willingness to do it, finding the place to which frog people kidnapped Arletta was the most important task. Balls of fire seemed to group in greater assemblies, other disappeared and after a few seconds turned up at other places. After a dozen minutes of walk, the girl left the area of marsh flames going into the region covered up with huge ferns. Simultaneously a smell of water and wind reached her nose, the scream of the predatory bird came inside her ears. Illyana headed in their direction and it turned out that she had managed to find the exit from bogs. She reached the one of the shores of the island, she stood up on the rocky beach and the sea shrouded with fog stretched before her. Mutant girl smiled hearing its noise, she could finally rest from horryfying bogs. In the same moment some shape loomed into view from the fog: a tall man attired in blue habit with hood which hid his face. He moved his arm over his head and big falcon flying above the forest circled him several times and sit down on his hand. The mysterious man came up to Illyana.

"We have beautiful weather today. Perfect for the hunt". He said simultaneously exposing the face. He had red beard and long hair. The girl was shocked meeting the man on such a remote place, but she realized quickly that she remembered the face from somewhere. She recalled her frantic dreams and the man with bundle going all over the starry sky. It was the very same man who stood before her. Mutant girl moved away from him.

"Don't be afraid traveller. There is no threat to you. Not in this place and not at this moment". He stranger replied smiling.

"Who are you, what are you doing here?" Illyana asked unsteadily.

"The same thing as you, I'm a traveller and I'm hunting with my friend". The bearded man announced looking at the eyes of the bird sitting on his shoulder. He turned to the girl giving her a smile. Illyana felt endangered, she summoned the Sword of Souls from the nothingness.

"There's a exceptionally beautiful weather today for a walk along the seashore, don't you think? I and my friend can relax here and feel the real unity with the universe. A night is coming and soon the fog will disappear giving up to the sea of stars above our heads". The man continued.

"I could see you that night... what connection with kidnapping me to this world do you have?" The blonde shouted.

"I assure you that I did not contribute to the fact that you had been cleared away from your parent universe. I am only an observer, I do not influence the run of events happening around me, I do not have laws or the duty to do this. The bearded man had let the falcon out and the one came back to circling above crowns of trees. The silence fell between mutant and the man in the habit. One could see twinkling of lights above bogs in the distance, probably the same ones which the girl saw during her walk.

"Can you see these lights Illyana? Some think of them as natural processes, other as ghosts travelling across Lands, some think that they are strange life forms. But the truth is that all these glimmers are a demonstration of one life. Swamp, the entire swamp is a huge organism, hundred of kilometers large. The bog is trying to communicate with us through its play of light and shapes, it is trying to understand us and it is waiting for our response for centuries ".

"It's very interesting, but..." The girl became impatient.

"But perhaps we'll talk about why you're contacting with me again? I have no time for listening to lectures about living on bogs".

"Yes Illyana... after all your victim is escaping and I stopped the hunt such important for you. What would you like to learn from me?" The ginger monk asked.

"Did you... did you arrive here in order to take me home?"

"No, I told you already I don't interfere with matters which are happening around me. If you are in this place it means that you are needed here and you must play your role until the end".

"In that case why are you doing all of this? Why did you appear in my dream, why are we talking now? Is it pleasing you?"

"Of course not! I arrived here to ease your pain and longing and to pass you the information from your world". The girl was surprised very much. Calming down, she sent her Sword of Souls to the Limbo. "From my world?"

"Yes, your friend miss you, she looked for you everywhere when you disappeared in the toilet of the café. Your brother and his friends also joined her search. Magneto resorts to more and more confident steps, he threatened Hellfire Club members and now he also suspects the government and the American army... blood can pour".

"Blood? And is this supposed to calm me?" The girl was surprised.

"You must always remember Katya, Piotr and others who are waiting for you. You must remember them to survive all problems which will meet you on your road. Remember them". The falcon completed flight and sat down on the shoulder of the bearded man. The man dressed the hood and geared himself up to leave the girl.

"Wait! Do you know how I can get back home? Do you know the way home? Tell me!"

"The night is so old. You'd better go, the princess was kidnapped in the day when Frog People are celebrating the Night of Fertility. They will be copulating with her one after the other in rhytm of drums and the dance of the torches until the girl gives her last breath. Hurry up, let glitter of the will-o-wisps take you to their village. And remember, do not hesitate to use your abilities, do not risk life". Hooded man moved toward the sea.

"Wait! Who are you? Will we meet again?" Illyana tried to stop him.

The ginger bearded man went the surface of water up as if it was hard pavement and then he disappeared in the darkness of the night hanging over the sea. Everything happened in total silence and the unnatural peace. The blonde didn't want to think about the bizarre meeting since she had the job to do, she had to come back to the marshes. If the stranger told her the truth, she had no time, the life of the girl was in danger. Illyana ran into the forest and remembering the word of the man headed in the direction of the place, where balls of flickering fire hovered above the swamps. After a few minutes of difficult march through the boggy area the girl stopped, simultaneously hiding behind the fat trunk of the closest tree. Sounds of drums, clicks of tens of repulsive lips came to her ears and her eyes came across the glitter of burning bonfires. Illyana reached the village of frog people, she had to find Arletta and free her as soon as possible, because the Ritual of the Night of Fertility had already begun.

Agnar and Kassina were locked in the cell in basements of Harold's stronghold. Guards didn't reach an agreement what they were supposed to do with their prisoners, they were too busy with removing corpses from the main chamber of the stronghold. Moreover the majority of them expected the return of their leader, but some accused him of the cowardice and the death of their companions. Agnar was sitting on the floor full of fury against himself and all his enemies, but especially against Illyana who had caused the situation in which he was. Kassina depulled the piece of the skirt and carefully dressed his wound. She was grateful to him since he had saved her life and she wanted to be useful to him very much.

"It's ready. I don't have cures from the castle of my father, I cannot ease the pain which you feel". She said sitting on the floor opposite the boy.

"Don't worry. Thank you". Agnar replied.

"When will we escape from here?" The girl asked.

"What?" The boy became irritated with her naive question.

"You're a mercenary, don't you? My father hired you to rescue me. You certainly have some plan, the fact that you let catch yourself is also its part. When will we leave, I think that we're here too long..." "Shut up!" Agnar violently stopped her sentence.

"There is no plan! I was cheated! Cheated by all my companions! By the black mage and the muscleman who escaped leaving the stack of corpses behind themselves! By the fair-haired witch from a far country who left me behind without a chance of the victory! There's no plan, since we've lost! We'll die here! Do you understand it now?" The boy got up off the floor. Kassina turned away her head, she felt like bursting out crying, but she managed to stop tears in the end.

"I apologise". She said. Agnar understood, that his behaviour frightened the girl who was still a child.

"No, I'm sorry. I should not shout at you. You're afraid, it's natural". he announced with a gentle tone. "Bloody hell!" He shouted banging his fist on the stone of the wall with all his might. Kassina hid the face behind raven-black hair. Silence fell inside the cell. The sound of water dripping in other room came to the girl's ears.

"She'll come back..." Kassima said quietly. Agnar turned away looking at her big, brown eyes, but didn't say a word.

"She'll come back to us, I believe in her... she'll come back and she'll free us." The princess announced gladly.

"Her eyes... her blue eyes aren't the eyes of evil man". She added after a moment. Agnar sat down on the floor. He recalled the injured Illyana on the bottom of the ravine, the girl lying in bed with a fever, her fighting with the apparition of the Rider in the world of the illusions, her using healing spell on her own body, he remembered the moment when she attacked him with the sword, when she cuddled up to him at the night after Korus mourning, when she persuaded him to accept the challenge of dwarves and later when she drank the beer with them, when she woke up ill the day after and when she lay on hay tired up after using the charm of the acceleration.

"I would like to think the same..." The boy announced quietly.

Illyana observed the village of frog people seeking Arletta and thinking how to free her. The visible part of the village was perfectly integrated with trees and bogs surrounding them, it was made out of wooden, single-storey hat covered with dried off marsh grass. Many hunched beings with green skin color and frog's faces were strolling around buildings. Every one of them was holding burning branches which caused that entire neighbourhood was bathed in red glitter. Splashing of water under frog people's legs, their smacking lips, speech and rhythmical sound of drums coming from the inside of huts reached girl's ears setting her into some kind of odd trance. A few steps behind houses she spotted the forest clearing with torches stuck to the ground and high, straight trunk of tree decorated with withered flowers, grass, feathers of birds and skins of different animals. Illyana guessed, what this primitively looking altar had been supposed to symbolize, she was certain that observing its surroundings she would find the princess. She wasn't wrong, after a few minutes, the frog man dressed in a long cape decorated with colorfull feathers and wooden necklace left one of houses. In one hand he was holding the spear with stone arrowhead, in the second hand, he had rope to which Arletta was tied up. The girl had tied hands, torn up dress and hair dirtied by dry mud from bogs. She tried to break free from the grasp of the leader of the village, but spears of his subjects directed at her neck effectively discouraged her from it. Illyana remembered words of the mysterious stranger: "... do not hesitate to use your abilities, do not risk life." She decided to act. She created spherical bullets of magical energy and hurled them into primitive residents of the village. Frogs were horrified and disorientated, they smacked their lips simultaneously waving their smooth paws. Warriors armed with spears looked into nearby bushes in order to find the cause of the unusual occurrence. Illyana summoned the bright teleportational disc and disappeared in its interior. She appeared behind the back of the of frog people leader. Glitter of the disc paralysed all marsh beings with fear and the appearance of women's silhouette in it caused a total chaos in their ranks.

"Who you... to be..! golden hair...!" frog male decorated with feathers said pointing the spear at the girl. The blonde deprived him of the weapon with one hit of the Soul Sword. Her next blow freed Arletta. She gave her a hand.

"Come on, there's no time! They'll attack us!" She said firmly to the princess. The woman ignored her, the bright disc horrified her much more than the kidnapping by frog people, the death of her lover and the thought of being a victim on the altar of the fertility.

"What are you waiting for!" Illyana became nervous, she ran up to kneeling Arletta and touched her shoulder.

"We'll escape from here!" He announced creating the teleportational disc. After a few seconds both girls disappeared astonishing the community of the boggy village.

The dark night reigned over thick forests of Aranis island, but in spite of it, the surroundings of the stronghold of port's guards were crowded. Men were digging graves in which their companions who had lost their life in the fight against mad giant Urghork were supposed to be burried. The torchlight was casting shadows of people rhythmically moving to the dumb funeral melody. Some strange, dark figure approached busy warriors. His body was totally covered in grey fabric, his walk was calm, dignified and simultaneously very frightening. The person stopped in the distance of a few meters from working people and was looking at them in a silence. One of soldiers saw him and lighting his own path, he came up to him.

"Go away! We don't feel like having fun with beggars!" He shouted angrily. The hooded figure raised his head and his eyes lighted with bloody-red color. The guard froze, because he knew to whom this terrible look belonged. All shadows around seemed to move towards themselves, to merge into one large shape crawling to the meeting with men. All guards, one after the other were affected by the living darkness and the hateful look of the secret figure. Obediently, like steered by a mighty mind they lie down in graves dug by themelves, where they stayed without a move. The stranger came up to corpses lying close by and then he bent down above one of them. His hand attired in the black glove lifted up the severed head which was covered by flies. Immortal Man in the Darkness returned and he was close to his target.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Illyana's teleportational circle turned up above the sea-shore, in the place in which many minutes before the girl had talked to the unusually mysterious man in a habit. Arletta emerged from the bright disc after the mutant. She was disorientated with a sudden transfer to the other place, terrified with the view of the object which she had associated with something holy and forbidden for the ordinary mortal man. She wasn't able to comprehend how she managed to enter the interior of the circle and move with its help to the completely different part of the forest without the smallest damage to her health. The girl fell down on her knees and only one thought remained in her head: the escape. When she tried to walk away into marsh thickets, Illyana stopped her by a force.

"Where are you going? You caused me so much trouble, you'll pay for it!" the blonde shouted at her furiously.

"Who are you?" Arletta asked, looking at young mutant with a fear in her eyes".

"I'm interested only in taking you an your sister to your father! I don't have to answer you!" Magik summoned the Sword of Souls from the nothingness and she touched it to the neck of the black-haired woman.

"Do you want to take me to my father? Why did you save me? I would prefer the death from hands of these slimy lice!"

"Many people died today because of you, including your mate. You forced me to use my magic. I had to leave my friends because of you... if something happened to them, you will pay for it! We're going!"

The girl pushed Arletta and forced her to move. Women were silent for a moment. The daughter of the master of the island overcame her curiosity and a fear she felt seeing the blonde using magic forbidden for people from her world and tried to make closer contact with her.

"Are you shaken by what happened in the stronghold? Are the sight of blood and deaths stunning you?" The black-haired started the conversation again.

"What stuns me really is the thought about how it's possible to be so cold and calculating. You used your own sister to fulfil your plan! You were ready to kill her! I could see your eyes, when you directed the horse at her..." Illyana answered not looking at the woman. Arletta didn't react, clenching her fist with an anger.

"You're a hypocrite." She spoke after a few minutes of silences. She continued.

"What I did before arouses a disgust in you and you're much worse than me now. You rescued me from hands of frog-people, you risked your own life travelling by night all over bogs, but only to get a prize for me which my father promised you. How do we differ from each othert You're a mercenary, for the appropriate price, you're able to hunt for people irrespective of whom they are and whose side the truth lies on. You're surrounding yourself with some shady-looking guys, for example like this magus looking lustfully at Kassima, because they're means, thanks to which you achieve your goal. I was using the man having the power and the army of warriors faithful to him, to get what I desire. I'm ready make a sacrifice, even if my own sister will become it." Arletta's last words irritated Illyana very much. She turned toward the woman and se stopped her looking at her with stern eyesight.

"Don't compare us! You think that I'm chasing you for the fame, money or the renown? You're wrong. I'm here with you because I have to! I want only to get it out from this cursed island, but your father decided to pass no ship from the port until you're found: you and your younger sister! I'm chasing you only because I must set off on the travel!"

"And you think that I joined Harold for taking the power? Just like you, I'm also not doing it for myself! I'm doing it for people, for all residents of the Aranis village! You could see how my father manipulates the life of the city, he's able even to stop the entire trade, when his businesses are in danger. My city isn't being developed, it's dying under his rule. Council compound of his partners is expanding, while the rest of the village lives in poverty paying tax for the father and the Temple in Tarania which also dictates their terms. The fields were taken by frog people and living on the border of bogs became unbearable because of their attacks. I and Harold wanted to change it, but you blighted our chances of the victory! Who is a bigger monster!" Illyana was silent. She didn't feel like continuing the dialogue with caught person.

"Who? Answer me!" Arletta said with a cracking voice.

"People who died today's night are on your conscience, because if not for you and your companions, they still would be living. Just like my sister, who perhaps was beheaded by subordinates of Harold. And now you want to have the next person on the conscience?"

"Shut up! I didn't know that you had been with them! I was convinced that I was saving you and Kassima from hands of some thugs."

"Because my father told you such lies, tempting you with gold."

"I need this money!"

"You want it so much that you will kill again?" Arletta provoked the girl more and more.

"I'm supposed to bring with you and your sister safe and sound. Killing anybody is out of the question."

"You don't even know how naive you are. My father doesn't care about my life! For him, I'm a next opponent on the way to the power. Tomorrow I will be hanged, early in the morning. And later the father will send to the stronghold his soldiers who will make a slaughter worse than the one which your bald man did."

"I must get out from here..." Illyana was unsure of her decision.

"If you think that after receiving the award you'll be able to leave, you're seriously mistaken. I could see how the father ordered to behead mercenaries right after they performed a task at one time. Only a death you can get from his hand".

"I cannot come back barehanded".

"You have my sister, she's naive and she believes that the father really loves her. I can give you back this bloody necklace." Arletta took the Arcalc from her neck and put it into Illyana's hands.

"I don't need it, not now when Harold and many of his people are dead. Why don't you lie, say thath you failed to catch me? I was swallowed by bogs, or killed by frog people during their bloodthirsty rituals? After all almost it almost happened. Release me free and I'll reward you. The next night, we met by docks... I'll show you the ship in which you'll be able to sail across the Sea of Anxiety and nobody will be asking unnecessary questions."

"And am I supposed to trust you? You demonstrated what you're able to do, like father, like daughter." "And you trusted my father? Did you trust those two thugs? You could see what they can do. I want only the future for my city."

Illyana was silent. She felt subconsciously that Arletta hadn't cheated her saying about the meannesses which Aranis' master committed, she knew that she would have to risk accepting the help from all sorts of people, if she wanted to have any chance of getting to Falaria and return home. She used her abilities and silently opened one of her teleportational discs. Horrified Arletta looked at the dazzle beating from its inside. She didn't know what this gesture had been supposed to mark, an invitation to the trip or maybe an execution. She remembered that she had been taught many times about the place where the glitter of discs came from and what penalties was for the ones who dared to get into their interior.

"I opened the portal to the meadow in front of the forest. You can safely leave frog people areas". Illyana announced all the time hesitating what to do with the woman. Black-haired girl didn't move even for one millimetre. Upset mutant ordered her to hurry up.

"What are you waiting for! You have your chance! I can change my mind!"

"Disc... its brilliance kills people..." The girl whispered.

"A moment ago we went through it and we live. I trusted you enough to set you free. Now you must trust me, after all you said that we were the same!" Arletta very slowly moved toward the opened portal. Once again, she has hesitated, she turned around in the direction of the blonde.

"You... how you learnt to control the disc..." She asked.

"I was born like this! And now go through this portal!"

The last words of Magik worked. Arletta crossed the gate and it closed right after the long-haired woman had been engulfed by it. Illyana decided to come back to the stronghold and free her friend. She hoped that she will be able to rescue him and she will leave the island in a quest the way home. In the moment when she tried to open the disc, she felt a huge confusion in the head, racing thoughts which didn't let her focus. The girl wasn't able to use her abilities. Surprised, she started looking all around, thinking that perhaps marsh mists had some impact on her. She noticed in astonishment that Flaroth and his huge friend Urghork had appeared from behind thickets.

"Flaroth, Urghork... why are you here... did you manage to escape? And where are Agnar and Kassima? " She asked. The black-haired magus smiled ominously.

"I'm afraid that they are in the stronghold. Or they were already impaled in a front of the road leading to the city. I don't intend to check because I'm disgusted with such a view." He replied.

"What are you talking about? Why did you left them behind!" The girl became nervous.

"Because they would disturb us in our hunts. Am I right, Urghork, my dear?" The magus asked the giant who nodded his head affirmatively.

"I'm afraid that you're too late. Arletta was dragged into bogs by frog people, but I managed to take the necklace away from her." The blonde showed the Arcalc.

"You're lying, and what's more I'm not interested in Arletta. Awards from Tarania are far more valuable than the ones given by the master of this island." The man announced.

"Whomare you hunting?"

"You, my dear, golden hair magician". Flaroth said gladly.

In the room of Harold's stronghold, the clean blood and remains of the human bodies were not washed away from carpets and the tragedy which came across this place could repeat itself again. Three horrified men ran into the chamber calling warriors who argued between themselves who was supposed to replace the missing master of the stronghol.

"He's here!" The bearded fat person pronounced with an effort.

"Who! The bald one? We will hang him! Murderer!" The moustachioed soldier screamed.

"No... no.. not him!" In the same moment the blackness engulfed the room, as if living, cold darkness, carrying graveyard air and despair of thousands of children murdered beneath walls of the beleaguered city, filled it. Warriors were struck dumb, they froze as if the cockatrice turned them into rocks with its devious eyesight. A tall figure attired in old clothings tightly covering every scrap of her body stood in the room. Her red eyes looked angrily at horrified people and the hand attired in the black glove held the severed head of one of their companions.

"Where is the one which I desire? Where is the one marked by the darkness? Show me him, or else you will join my procession." The head said, rolling its dead eyes.

"Young boy named Agnar." It added after a moment of a break. All soldiers calmed down, since there was a slightest chance, that the immortal rider would spare them. They indicated the route to basements in which Agnar and Kassima were imprisoned.

Illyana stood opposite Flaroth and Urghork, she clenched her fists with an anger, she was ready to summon the Soulsword and use the magic against their associates.

"What do you want?" She asked the sorcerer.

"Nothing. Some man from Tarani promised me the great reward for you. Don't bear me a grudge, I only do my work and earn money." Urghork nodded his head giving his friend the sign informing him that he agreed with everything. The blonde remembered the moment when the Black Knight attacked her, she recalled Ariana's words about the fact that she was chased by evil people.

"Who is looking for me! Who did pay you for kidnapping me!" She shouted out in anger. She knew that she could not obtain the reply, but she had to relieve the tension intensifying in her body.

"I cannot give you the identity of my client. You should know about it. You're the hunter yourself, at least you told me so." The mage was talking with the smile glued to his face.

"But perhaps let us do the real thing. We shouldn't lose strenght for unnecessary conversations..." He added after a moment. After a moment, he spread his arms widely, creating the big web of black substance, pulsing like blood vessels taken out from the inside of a huge body, around himself. After his silent order, the strange structure headed toward the girl. Flaroth was certain, that the fight had been ended. The Net of the Enslavement was one of the most powerful spells he knew and he had risked a lot to get all the elements needed for its generation. Supposedly this charm was created in dark palaces of outcasts from the Arillon land or maybe it came even from the Emptiness between Worlds. Unfortunately, this time he met a hard opposition. The dark web was cut by Illyana's bright sword like the ordinary thread and fell to the ground gushing with a purple blood. The girl looked triumphantly at her assailant.

"Did you think that I was weak? Did you think that I would let you defeat me after you betrayed me and you exposed my friend to an danger? Never!"

Magik summoned three magic balls, stating with contentment that this time she creatied the spell with much more easiness. Three bullets of the light dashed off toward the black magus, but the one didn't even try to step down from their way. Man took the black stone out of his bag with a fast move, raising it above his face. Strange black barrier, like a magic shield or force field of unknown origin was created around his body. Globes of the energy hit the shield and were entirely consumed by its surface. Urghork, seeing that mutant tried to hurt his friend, took the axe out from behind the belt gearing himself up to an attack. Flaroth stopped him with one move of the hand.

"We're not supposed to use the force on such a girl." He whispered. At the same moment, two sharp, extended icicles rushing with a huge speed to the meeting with the girl's back, appeared out of nowhere behind her back. The girl managed to dodge them, but she lost her balance, stumbled over the root sticking out of the soft soil and fell down on thickets. She was furious at herself that she didn't trust her magic armour and she let the opponent to triumph over her. Flaroth created next set of icicles which stuck into the ground very close to the face of the girl, her hands and buttocks. The magus played with her not wanting to give her a final blow. He knew that he could not hurt her, but only tire out and capture her.

Illyana was furious, she wanted to use the disc and run away somewhere far away from two mercenaries. One person knew already about her extraordinary abilities and she didn't want this knowledge to spread in the land. It would mean that the price for her head would rise and her chance of the return to her home diminished. Illyana was invited for the crazy dance in which she had to dodge ice spears attacking her from all directions, simultaneously trying to hit magus with her bright magic missiles. Unfortunately, the barrier of the man was too strong. At some point, the sorcerer decided to end the fight. Lumps of ice and snow started whirling around his hand as he geared himself up to hit the girl with the stream of the cold which would take all her willingness for the fight. Illyana knew that she would have to act quickly. She remembered the spell of the fire and the way of forming the sphere of flames. She imagined herself in the middle of the raging fiery storm, she tried to gather the entire heat of the phenomenon in her hands, in the tips of her fingers. She realised with a joy that she could do it more easily than before. She formed the sphere of fire throwing it at Flaroth, at the same moment, when he summoned the stream of ice. Two enermous energies met each other to get into the confrontation, which was supposed to judge the victory of one of them, for the first time and the last time. As it turned out, Illyana's fire was stronger. Her stream melted cold rays, and then it moved toward the man. Surprised sorcerer tried to defend himself with the help of his black stone. The wall of the fire hit the shield effectively dispersing on it, but the pressure was too strong, cracks appeared on the stone and Flaroth fell over struck with an energy getting out of the crystal. Urghork seeing his friend in a danger, was possesed by the rage. He rushed at Illyana waving his axe. The girl was horrified. Seeing bloodshot eyes of the bald muscleman, she remembered what had happened in the stronghold a few hours earlier, she remembered the scream of people who were beheaded and disemboweled. She protected herself instinctively with the Sword of Souls. When the blade of the Urghork's weapon hit the magic steel of the sword forged in the Limbo, cracks appeared on it. The failure didn't muffle the enthusiasm of the warrior, instead it infuriated him more, the man started losing the control over himself. He moved in the direction of Illyana trying to defeat her with his pure physical strength. The girl was faster and more agile than the muscleman, she managed effectively to escape from his way.

The giant driven by his own inertia tumbled down into nearby thickets. It turned out, that he had touched down in the bog and his weapon was irretrievably consumed by it. The blonde noticed that Flaroth had recovered and planned the next magic attack. The girl had to act the quickest she was able. She ran up to the black-haired man and directed her sword to the bag with his magic crystal. Artefacts were broken into thousands of small pieces and their magic was effectively absorbed by the blade of the magic weapon. One of the crystals, black and glistening with a purple glitter, fell down on the stone under feet of the girl. When it butted against the surface, a magic hologram portraying her and the long-haired man appeared before the eyes of the girl. The wraithlike figure started saying the recorded message:

"I am offering the award for Ariana, keeper of bright discs. I am offering even bigger award for those who will bring her companion with the golden hair to me! Living and in good health! Azureus from Tarania".

"Who is he? What does he wany from me?" Magik asked with a fury.

"I don't know... I only did the task which he commissioned to me." Flaroth replied smiling crookedly. Illyana took the black crystal and she put it in her trouser's pocket.

"You will tell me everything you know." The girl threatened the magus with her sword. At that very moment, a shout reached her ears.

"Help me!" Urghork screamed as if somebody stripped his skin. As it turned out, the swamp covered his body almost entirely. Only his head and one of hands stuck out from the sea of mud covered with rushes.

"Urghork!" Flaroth shouted. He tried to move to help his friend, but Illyana didn't let him make a one step. The Soulsword sparked with a glitter resonating with an anger of its owner. In the same momen, Urghork inhaled the air for the last time and was buried in the stinking grave. Illyana started fighting with her own thoughts. She wanted to punish people who cheated her and her friend, but simultaneously she was horrified with the fact that next person died because of her. The girl felt that she had started experiencing strange feeling of euphoria and satifaction from a torment of her enemies. She knew that she would have to fight this feeling, because otherwise she would move closer to becoming same as Belasco.

"I won't let him die." She said aloud. At the same moment, a bright disc turned up in a front of Flaroth. The amazed magus moved away a few strides and the large bulk of his bald friend emerged from the the circle. Urghork, dirty with mud and marsh water but safe and sound, fell down on grass. The black-haired magus very quickly came to him to check whether his companion was ok. When he became convinced that the giant had been breathing, he approached the blonde.

"I own you Urghork's life." He said bowing to the girl. Illyana remained adamant.

"I'm not a monster. I did it for myself not for you." She answered coldly.

"Who is Azureus? Why did he order to kidnap me?" She asked again.

"I don't know, I didn't lie to you. My crystal collects magic messengers containing lists from the ones who seeks services of mercenaries. After performing a task we get in touch with their author and we establish in what way we will exchange goods or the person for a gold." The girl took the stone out of a pocket and she gave it to the man. She directed her sword at him.

"Call him! Now! Say you want to meet with him because you caught me!" She ordered.

"I'm afraid that it is impossible. Your sword destroyed the possibility of the communication." Flaroth replied. The blonde took crystal, she watched it noticing scratches and the lack of a purple glow which surrounded it minutes before.

"Don't try more to attack me again. Next time I won't be so kind to you." The girl geared herself up to walk away.

"You rescued Urghork's life. I'm your debtor now and I swear that I won't disrupt your travel again. Besides..." Flaroth fell into a pensive mood.

"I don't have a chance with somebody who controls Scared Discs. I'm starting to understand, why somebody from Tarania is interested in you." Illyana didn't answer him. She summoned the teleportational disc and disappeared in it leaving mercenaries alone in the middle of bogs.

All Harold's subordinates sat in the main room of the stronghold being afraid to make the smallest movement in order not to arouse the anger of the unwanted guest. Guards were not talking to each other, feeling a fear although the dark figure left the chamber a long time ago heading towards basements where the man, who it desired so much, was imprisoned. Agnar realized what had been supposed to happen to him, when an unnatural cold carrying feeling of the emptiness and doubt turned up at his cell. Kassima also knew that something unusual had happened, she instinctively moved back to the other end of the room in order to find a little air not poisoned with the darkness of Immortal Rider. The dark knight wrapped in the old, torn up clothings from head to toe, came slowly, like the smoke rising from the chimney in the windless day, to steel grating and he looked at the black-haired boy with blood-red eyes. In spite of princess' cry of fear, Agnar remained adamant, he could not move any limb of the body or even blink to stop the eye contact with the demon. His mind was claimed into the black hole of the thoughts of the Dark Rider and his free will, feeling of own separatness was weakening with every passing minute, it was being washed away in the the darkness full of shouts of poor wretches who had belonged to the procession of the knight in all centuries. Agnar's mind slowly became the property of the demon. The boy was on the strange journey into the abyss surrounded by the tunnel of pulsing red and the whine of Nameless beings, circulating through the Eternity in the Emptiness between Worlds. In front of Agnar's eyes, images swam, whose meaning he wasn't able to comprehend. He could see the great battle, hundreds of soldiers attired in armours, horses as black as the night and with red eyes. He thought that he was observing the battle forever, he was participating in it, he was feeling emotions of everyone. He could see the defeat of the army's leader whose armor was shattered into hundreds of slices as sharp as fragments of the mirror, mirror stealing people's dreams and thoughts. He was falling with him into the abyss into the emptiness, an absence of everything real and possible to comprehend with a mind. He could see the sky shimmering with rainbow of colours and winding roads of thorny branches on which notions of the up and down, left and right didn't make any difference. He walked along slithering one-sided surfaces and his body as well as the mind became its own mirror image. He observed shapeless monsters trying to get out of their never ending nightmares and majestic beings with bodies greater than the horizon of crystal glass spheres whirling together with golden planets above his head. He was a witness of forging of the black armour in sources of the eternal life and damnation and later he saw King dressed in it, ruling the Emptiness, sentenced to the eternal walk all over deserts full of fossilized bones of dragons from worlds before the beginning of the reality. He looked into the stream of time in which the past, the present time and the future mixt like water churned up in the mountain stream. The invasion of mages of the Temple, the march of scaled beings and the rising of the deceaseds from their graves were events, which shreds he could see. The vision which he experienced wasn't similar to anything he knew from his life.

In the real world the Immortal Rider moved the hand close to the Agnar's face. Kassima was sitting in the corner hunched and tears of terror poured over her face. In the same moment, in the corridor a teleportational disk appeared and Illyana emerged from its inside. Kassina noticed Illyana's arriving, but the fear which paralysed her was too strong to overcome. The princess cringed. The blonde had the sword in hand and armour covered the part of her body. The girl recolled falling down a chasm and magic fever which attacked her body. Illyana knew that the meeting with the demon who tried to steal her thoughts had been inevitable, but she didn't suppose it would happen so quickly. Seeing the dark figure, she felt like escaping, but she didn't want to disappoint somebody who helped her again. If she defeated the demon in her dream, perhaps she will have a chance in the real world - she thought. She started reminding herself all known spells. The fire ball was the strongest spell she knew, but using it she could hurt Agnar, he was too close to the Knight. She thought about ice blades which Flaroth had used. She closed her eyes trying to imagine something opposite to the heat, freezing cold, touch of the frost on Siberia which she remembered from the childhood or the coolness radiating from streams where she had played as Belasco's pupil. A large ice spear formed in her hand. She raised it with will power, the spear was shot in direction of the Immortal. The demon was pierced with it, he hit the wall and ice covered his body. Illyana knew that it wouldn't stop him for ages.

"Kassima! Kassima!" She shouted at the girl through grating. Agnar was in the shock triggered by the mind of the Rider. He didn't move and his eyesight lied on stone clouds moving somewhere in his imagination. Magik got rid of the padlock in the door of the cell with the use of the sword and then she came inside to calm the girl.

"Kassima! Pull yourself together! We must escape from here!" She screamed looking into her watery eyes.

"Who...is he..." Kassima asked not being able to bring fear under control.

"Unimportant, he won't harm you now. We must escape! Do you understand?"

"Yes..." The black-haired replied unwillingly. Illyana ran up to Agnar.

"Agnar! What about you? I defeated him! Can you see? Just like in the vision. Didn't I tell you that I could?" The mutant girl started the conversation, but she was afraid of the worst. She thought that she had arrived too late and the mind of her friend had already belonged to the black knight. She looked with a fury at the demon. Clenching her fist, she opened the teleportational disc sending the Rider into the most distant place which she remembered - the horizon over the sea visible from the edge where she had met the ginger monk. Kassima was horrified, glitter of the disc caused that she had frozen. Her fear was greater than the one from a few minutes ago.

"Kassima, we must escape from here!" Illyana urged the girl.

"Who are you... how did you do this?" The princess whispered.

"The first time I summoned discs when I was younger than you. I was born with these abilities. Don't ask me how it is possible, because I don't know. One day I simply realised that I could open gates between places."

"Going through discs is forbidden, no man can survive it..." Kassima was afraid to approach the blonde.

"As you can see I live. You must trust me and pass on the other side with me. You must help me. Look at Agnar. Don't you want to help him?" Illyana continued. Black-haired girl looked like a boy, his empty eyes and the face devoid of the emotions. The honour didn't let her abandon the man who saved her life.

"Ok... I will go with you.." She decided. Magik summoned the teleportational disc and together with Kassima, she helped to lead Agnar to its bright surface. Soon all three plunged into its light passing to its other side. Kassima was walking with a belief, that she won't see her castle, the father and all marsh-woody areas which she knew from the childhood. However she hoped that it she would turn out to be the Saint from legends told by older women from the market, legendary traveller who can travel the Emptiness between Worlds. The second possibility that Illyana was a demon coming from the emptiness, was too terrifying for princess, if she though about it, she wouldn't able to sink into the bright tunnel inviting her into its interior with dumb melody of the light.

There was a dark night and on the sky above the forest, murmuring with the warm wind, stars and a large silver moon were twinkling. Tired Kassima fell asleep om a clearing, which Illyana chose for the campsite and therefore mutantk girl had collect wood for the bonfire herself. Agnar wasn't talkative, he didn't even try to look at the direction of the girl. When Illyana lighted the fire, the boy sat down on the rotten stump sticking out of thickets and he started looking mindlessly at dancing flames. The blonde looked at black crystal belonging to Flaroth, she passed fingers over its cracked surface. She already knew the name of the one who wanted her for unknown reasons and was probably responsible for kidnapping her to the strange land full of the magic. Hours of a sleepless night passed with sounds of forest animals and the noise of the stream flowing somewhere between trees.

"I don't want to know who you are..." - a cracking Agnar's voice broke the silence. Illyana quickly came to him. The boy didn't look at her and his eyes didn't stop checking on creaking flames jumping from kindling for kindling.

"I won't even try to understand who you are. After what I saw today I know that there are things of which we didn't dream even in our boldest dreams. You came back after me and you rescued me again. I will try to remember only about it..."

Illyana didn't want to speak. The sadness in Agnar's voice moved her more than at night, when Korus had been killed.

"Worlds which the Immortal showed me... what I saw there... I'm not in the state to tell about it... I'm not even able to think about it. What I knew so far is only a shadow of the reality in which we live... I'm not able to live anymore..."

"I have the new objective ahead of me now... the only one which I will devote myself to..." Agnar announced with a firm voice.

"I must understand what I could see. I must understand whom the Immortal Rider is, what his past is why he is travelling between lands sowing the death and damage. I must know his weak points and destroy him so that he stops threatening our lands." Agnar said angrily and with a passion. The girl at first was glad that the apathy had passed him, but soon she understood, that a strange fanaticism was behind his words, the one which would be able to kill him in the future.

"Take me with you on your travel, Illyana. Let me keep you company and teach your real mission you have to fulfill in our world. Help me to get to know the past of the Rider and powers which created him."

"I already told you, I only want to get to Falaria and get back home. I don't have any other missions here. If you want to travel with me it's excellent, but everything what recently happened me, outgrows me also. I could see things which I don't understand and I'm having a feeling that I'm a pawn in the game of somebody very powerful." Agnar looked at the blonde like he didn't believe her and he threw the next dry branch into the bonfire.

"What happened after you had dashed off after those two? Did you catch them?"

"Yes and no... I told you that I had seen things which I don't understand completely. I managed to find those two, it turned out that the guy was dead, some monsters from bogs killed him."

"Frog-People?".

"It's unimportant. I went to search the girl and I met somebody unusual."

"Yes?"

"I don't know who he was. He looked like some monk in the habit, he had red beard and he played with the falcon. I talked to him briefly, I think that he knew well how I was captured and how I can get back home. But his replies were riddles, as if he played with me. Then he disappeared in the fog and...that's all..."

"It's becoming really terrifying."

"You think?"

"And what about that girl?" Agnar changed the subject.

"I rescued her from hands of frog-people and later I set her free."

"What?"

"We have the necklace..." The girl showed the golden Arcalc hanging on the neck.

"... and her. " She pointed at black haired princess sleeping on moss.

"It should be enough. She convinced me that her father isn't who whe appears to be. And warned me against him."

"We must risk."

"I know. But it's not the end. Flaroth and Urghork betrayed me, it turned out that they had hunted for me."

"Bastards! I knew that something had been strange after they had escaped from the stronghold."

"It's not important, I defeated them and look..." the girl gave Agnar cracked black crystal.

"It's a message from the one who ordered to catch me. Now it's destroyed but I managed to hear it through. He is called Azureus and come from Tarania. Dave you heard about him?"

"No... but the name belongs to somebody from high places, he can be knight or somebody from the Temple."

"You want to discover the past of the Rider, I'm going to find this Azureus. Will you help me?"

"Yes, I can't to come back to the former life. What's with Flaroth and Urghork, won't they be searching you?"

"No, let us say that they are in debt know. Will you tell me, what you could see in the eyes of the Knight?" Agnar clouded over again. He looked straight ahead to bonfire's dancing flames.

"I don't know words which could describe it." He replied coming back to his meditation and dissociating himself from the reality.

"Please yourself. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, we're going to Aranis for our money and from there straight to Tarania. Ok?"

"Of course."

"And one thing more. I'll tell you about myself, who I am, where I come from and why I can control discs. I promise that I'll tell you the whole truth." The boy didn't listen to the blonde, because his mind was plunged into nameless worlds from the vision.

Illyana, Agnar and Kassima reached the Aranis before daybreak. Neighborhood was completely desolate, only guards walked here and there. The black-haired princess didn't say a word during the entire travel, she remembered everything what had happened in the previous night, but realising that the couple of travellers were no threat for her, she decided not to ask them about details how Magik defeated the Rider controlling the bright teleportational disc. When all three approached the gate leading to the castle of the town's master, three dwraves went out to meet them. Seeing Kassima's face, they were glad very much.

"I can see that you found our lost kitten!" One of them said.

"Next reason to admire you, young lady!" The second one announced.

"But let us not discuss here, but let us walk to the prince, he will certainly be glad from the return of his daughter." He added opening the wooden gate.

The door of the throne room opened with a loud creaking. When Kassima saw her father sitting on a throne, she smiled widely and quickened the pace in order to be in his arms as soon as possible. "Kassima..." The moustachioed man said. The black-haired girl cuddled up to him and he touched her gently with one hand.

"You did it." He announced looking at Illyana's and her companion's eyes.

"What about Arletta? What about the necklace?" He asked after a moment. The blonde came up to his throne and gave him the golden locket. Rufon quickly grabbed it. He looked at it for a moment feeling distinct relief, that his real treasure also returned home safe and sound.

"We have bad news about your second daughter, prince." Agnar said.

"Arletta wasn't kidnapped. She faked her kidnapping in order to deprive you of the throne together with the Harold." Illyana added.

"That snake... I didn't think that she was able to do such a thing." thoughtful Rufon replied.

"What did happen to her?"

"I don't know. She escaped with her partner to bogs and I wasn't able to catch her. I could see a lot of groups of armed frog people there. Arletta and Harold probably became their victims." Illyana lied just as she had promised the older daughter of the prince.

"Prince, we have a lot way ahead of us. Would you keep your promise and reward us for our effort?" Agnar added after a moment of thought.

"Of course, Of course." Rufon said. He asked Kassima to sit down on the armchair standing under one of windows and rose from the throne approaching the girl and her companion.

"I am a man of honour, so I will keep my promise. Gromth will lead you to the strongroom, where you will receive a prize." He announced smiling. One of the stocky dwarves with red beard tied up into two plaits emerged from behind the slightly opened door.

"Gromth! Give our warriors the award!" He shouted. The short man looked at the blonde but after a moment at her companion.

"Go with me!" He ordered. Illyana and Agnar left the throne room, for the last time looking at the black-haired daughter of the prince. They went in silence along the long corridor heading obediently after red-bearded dwarf. The man reached the big, wooden doorway and opened it with the help of the key taken out from the belt. He told them not to follow him and disappeared behind the gate. Soon, he was back in the corridor.

"Come!" He shouted with a hoarse voice. When Illyana and Agnar went behind the door, it turned out that they came outside, near the wall surrounding the stronghold, opposite to the market and the front gate of the castle, on the area adjoining to bogs. A surprise which quickly assumed the form of fear and readinesses for the fight seized the girl.

"Arletta was right." She said quietly to the boy.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rufon is a piece of rubbish." In the same time, three dwarves emerged from behind bushes. Each of them was holding an axe and was ready to do the last order of his lord - taking travellers' life.

"What doy you want? Where is our payment?" Agnar asked, guessing that he was cheated.

"You'll get it here!". The ginger bearded man laughed.

"Don't bear us a grudge for it. We must simply listen to the one who pays for the duty." The short man said. Magik clenched fists.

"You don't bear me a grudge for what I will do now." She whispered. With the intense whistle, three ice spears flew out from nearby thickets. All blades approached castle guards' backs, they were expecting nothing. Bearded men felt severe twinge, like biting of some huge insect and inconceivable cold going from wounds to the furthest nooks of their bodies. Not uttering not a single sound, all three of them fell on wet grass of the swamp.

The ginger short man was surprised very much, he looked all around expecting the opponent. Agnar looked at Illyana with the mistrust, he thought that the girl had killed three people with a cold blood. Magik was as astonished as her acquaintance, she didn't have a clue what had happened with her opponents. She considered using the magic towardsdwarves, but she didn't manage even to think about summoning the charm. After a moment, a next ice lance loomed into view from behind the tree. It effectively hit the last assasin, When the ginger bearded man fell down into a mud, Illyana knew where the unexpected aid came from. She spotted two male figures moving in bushes. One of them was as large as the mountain, second one was slim and agile. The girl smiled looking at walking away figures.

"What happened here?" Agnar asked looking at frozen remains of guards.

"It was Flaroth." Magik replied calmly.

"What?"

"Flaroth saved our life."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. He was indebted at me. We must walk away. The entire neighbourhood will be talking about two mercenaries who killed personal bodyguards of the prince."

"Where do you want to escape? How do you want to get some ship?"

"Somebody is still indebted at me." Illyana and Agnar headed toward the port small town.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Tazia was relieved, when her feet touched the earth of Taranian seaport after the long and difficult journey. The girl welcomed the dirty and crowded surroundings with a joy, she was happy looking at two-storey tenements in which taverns, shops with different goods like food or mysterious maps leading to legendary islands and treasures, as well as guilds full of people doing their not exactly honest businesses were located. The port was much bigger and more modern than its equivalent on Aranis island, its regulars were also more diversified. Tazia saw city dwellers as well as strangers from faraway lands as well as soldiers of the queen dressed in capes with the white eagle and missionaries wearing white robes who came from the Temple. The girl met also stout women with grey skin and elephant head from distant Ganatia, who attired in color robes, were selling precious stones, the dwarf persuading people to play dice for money and unusually thin men with long and grey hair, carrying emerald amours, who arrived from Arillon. The noise of the harbor, shouting sellers and screams of seagulls overheard helped Tazia to forget, at least for a moment, about the tragedy which had happened shipboard and the death of her mother under the control of the demon's magic. The girl had the mission to fulfill, really important one which had been given her by Azureus after they both had left the deck of the cursed ship. The man had to meet with the Queen, then visit the temple and in the end return to the hideout of the Clan of the Night in order to tell Master Asanar and his partners about the expedition. The black-haired witch task was to go to Pylfiders, right in the heart of treacherous bogs, to find the old oracle and ask her about the next part of the prophecy or more specifically where the traveler with golden hair from the other world was. Azureus didn't believe that the blonde girl had died as the man from the procession of the Immortal Rider had tried to convince him. He knew that he would track her down and use her to finalize his plans for Tarania Kingdom. Tazia sat down on the stone low wall, separating the main part of the port from streets going deeper into the city, looking at galleons in dock, including the ship which had suffered damage from the storm sent by girl's crazy mother. She was recalling her past.

_Tazia, the little girl with black hair and brown eyes sat in the bed in the room plunged in the semi-darkness listening closely to sounds coming from behind the door. Somebody was with her mum, the man who often visited her. Tazia didn't like him, because he had never paid attention to her, treating her more like hens walking along streets or stray dogs roaming around senselessly, than like human being. He never talked to her, never brought her anything. When he was coming, he was taking her mother away to the main room of the cottage and talked to her about subjects which Tazia wasn't able to understand. That day he came again and took her mum away to the room again, leaving behind the girl in the dark room. However ,the end of the meeting was supposed to be completely different than usually. At some point, the door of her room opened with a creaking, worrying moths flying by the candle on the table. Ariana emerged from it looking at the daughter and her eyes were wet from tears._

_"Tazia..." The woman said approaching the small bed._

_"Tazia, forgive me.." She said, but the girl wasn't able to comprehend what it was all about. Her mum's tears filled her heart with an anxiety._

_"The most difficult times dawned, my child..." Ariana whispered approaching the daughter._

_"We must leave. If we stay here, we will be threatened by a great danger. Evil people want to harm us and they can harm you." She added. Tazia looked at her._

_"Where are we going?" She asked._

_"Tazia, my child... Mr Oron will take you to Tarania, to the family of my good friend. You will be happy there, they have a daughter in your age and there are many flowers..."_

_"And what about you? Will you settle with us?"_

_"No. I must go as far away as possible. The farthest from the place in which you will be living. I'm doing it to protect you so that evil people do not guess that you're my daughter... I'm sorry Tazia, I cannot assure your safety any other way."_

_"Mum... when will you come back to me? When will we meet?" The girl asked._

_"I don't know child, I don't know... but I promise you that we will see ourselves again, I promise you."_

_Ariana hugged the daughter. The girl embraced her and whispered in her ear:_

_"I love you mum..."_

_"I love you too Tazia, I love you and I promise you, that when everything calms down, I will reward you taking you to the most beautiful garden in lands."_

_It was the day, when Tazia had lost her mother for the first time._

Girl shaken out of reflections by the knight travelling on the horse, decided to say goodbye to the port and move further. She went along the stone street, toward the west city gate behind which sun gardens, looked after by priests living in the Temple of the Light adjoining to the city, were located. The street was plunged in darkness, it stank of urine and burnt roasts from nearby taverns. Tazia quickened the pace, because she didn't like that part of the city besides she didn't feel safe there. Her anxieties were right, taking into consideration all paupers begging by inns. The girl reached the open place with the fountain behind which the bridge to the west gate stood. She stopped on it to look at own face mirrored in the small river flowing by the city. One moment later she left the walls of the port. The beautiful, colorful garden appeared. A lot of different trees, flowers and bushes, imported from all lands of the continent grew there. The sea of flowers stretched out along the hill, up to the walls of the Temple of the Light which towered over surroundings. The building was massive, much bigger than municipal walls, made entirely from the white stone. The sun's rays reflecting from its surface annoyed Tazia eyes. In the garden, one could notice priests dressed in white robes looking the flora after or reading verses from books bound into colorful animal skins. The black-haired girl sat down on the wooden bench to watch all beautiful plants. Red flowers growing close by reminded her lands in which she was brought up and trees with light pink leaves in the distance brought to her thoughts the magic garden which her mother had given her, when she had visited her in her stone hermitage on the top of a mountain for the first time.

_The girl was looking at stone walls of the temple in which her mother had found the new house. She arrived there with Oron, although she still didn't like him, after the long and tedious walk. Climbing the mountain path, very steep for the small child, she had thought about the award waiting for her on the top of the mountain - beautiful garden promised by her mother. She was disappointed, when it turned out, that actually bare rocks and caves exuding darkness were the destination of her travel. The view of Ariana standing in the access to the church caused that she had smiled again forgetting about the displeasure at the place at which she arrived. The priestess took her to the plateau from which the magnificent view stretched: mountain peaks covered with the layer of the snow, valleys with green forest and kilometers of meadows, above which the milk-white fog rose. Eyes of the girl glistened from a joy, when a silhouette of the young dragon appeared on the Sun's disc. _

_"I will fulfil a promise from before our parting." The woman said simultaneously showing the stone and asking the girl to sit down on it._

_"I said, that next time when I meet you, I will take you to the most beautiful garden. It will be unique garden, magic, created from the inside of my heart."_

_The woman sat down by her daughter reciting words of the spell and branches of magic plants started growing from under stones. There was a lot of them, they turned into miniature forest, created only for black-haired girl's delight. Branches covered with leaves and colorful flowers. Tazia was running between dwarf trees. She examined all of them and she was pleased with every green leaflet touching her legs and arms. Ariana looked at her daughter._

_"I'm pleased that you're safe." The woman thought._

Tazia was startled out of her reverie, when one of priests of the Temple of the Light approached her. The man had grey hair and he was holding a small book in hands. The girl looked at her fleetingly and then walked away towards walls surrounding the temple and the city. The building was much larger and more monumental than walls of the port, adorned with white columns with sculptures portraying the Sun. Tazia talked to the guard standing at the gate and finally came off beyond the area of the Tarania's capital city. On the other side of stronghold, the river flowed, the very same one which flowed also into the city's port. However, in that part of lands, it was much more natural, wild, not subjugated by the man. The girl liked it there much more than inside the port. She stopped on the wooden bridge watching grass growing on the edge and insects swimming with the current of the river or fighting against it without any success. The wooden inn with a large hanging horseshoe over the door stood on the other side of the river. It was the inn named the "Lucky Horseshoe" in which travelers from the north, going to the port, stayed. The fat owner of the building, with red alcoholic face, smiled at the sight of the girl and asked her to go up closer with a gesture of the hand.

"Young woman with black hair, you are the one called Tazia, am I right?" he asked. The girl was surprised, that he recognized her although she had never seen her earlier.

"Yes, it's me."

"The messenger of Lord Azureusa said that you needed the young and strong horse because you have a long expedition ahead. I have the best one in the entire region!" The man announced, showing the animal chained to the wooden pole.

" The best one in the entire region!" He repeated.

"Thank you. Lord Azureus will certainly reward you." Tazia replied coming up to the horse.

"He has already rewarded me!" The fat person said with a smile.

"Don't you want to stay in my humble abode? To eat, to drink, to rest before the journey? " He asked.

"I can't. I must leave immediately because my mission is really serious. Thank you for the shelter." Tazia announced sitting on the back of the brown steed. Not wasting time for unnecessary conversations, she set off on a journey.

"Safe travel, my lady!" The fat man shouted at the walking away girl. When she disappeared behind the nearby hill, the man wiped his hands in the apron, coming back to his everyday duties inside the inn.

Tazia travelled along the road meandering around hills covered by meadows, forests as well as converted into farmland by local farmers. She felt the pleasant wind in her hair, bringing smells of reaped hay, bonfire burning somewhere in the distance and humid resin. The barking reached the dog in the nearby village came to ears of the girl. When she looked around, she noticed cottages standing here and there, enclosed households with fences on which fresh washed clothes and recently formed pots dried. The images from times, when she was a very young teenager, being no more than 13 years old appeared in her mind. She used to live in one of Taranian villages together with her adoptive parents. She stopped the horse to look at girls playing between sheaves of hay.

_The leisure time was passing very slowly for young Tazia. The girl liked to play on the open space, on meadows surrounding her house as well as in mysterious forests stretching out faraway. She remembered people bringing her up as their own child, old herbalist lady whom she had met at the crack of dawn, on the biggest meadow in the lands, before a cockerel crowed and the sun came out from under the horizon, and also dogs living in her house and in households of her neighbors. The real daughter of people, whom she lived with, was her best friend and her name was Ellie. She was a person with slight build, fair hair and blue eyes. The girl loved forests full of secrets and ancient artifacts hiding between trees. Every day, she took Tazia to the forest thicket in order to seek mysteries of past centuries or went with her to the cottage of the old herbalist, who knew the most fantastic and unusual stories about Tarania and all other lands about which girls knew nothing, apart from that, they existed somewhere, outside the range of their feet. Acquaintance with the old woman, as well as Ellie's fascination with everything what was forbidden by the church ruling over Tarania, two years later was supposed to lead to the greatest tragedy in the life of the black-haired enchantress, to the event which caused that she had followed the Clan of the Night road, when the chance appeared._

Tazia was wondering what had happened to the herbalist, if she was alive, if she lived in the old cottage in the centre of forest and whether she had been walking to the meadow, coated by dew and flowers, to gather herbs every morning. On the way back, I'll look for her, I'll try to meet her - the girl thought, turning into the route leading directly to dark forest full of diverse coniferous trees.

_Ellie was happy. She came to Tazia's room at the crack of dawn, to take her to her favorite meadow and tell her the most hidden secret, that she fell in love the first time in her life. Sitting in the grass wetted by a dew, surrounded by morning wind carrying cold air from distant mountains' tops, she told her about the boy she had met. Her beloved was a young man from outside the forest, from the homeland of the old herbalist. She got to know him, when, because of her carelessness, she fell off the rock twisting her leg. The long-haired boy found her and helped her, using the knowledge of his ancestors from times before the rule of the Temple of the Light. He fascinated her and the culture he represented attracted her like a magnet. Ellie spent every meeting with her black-haired friend on conversations about the boy and his family, the knowledge about plants and animals inhabiting extensive Tarania's forests as well as the primal truth about the world which was blotted out from cards of history as well as the awareness of people by centuries the Church of the Light's rules. Weeks passed and Ellie's love to long-haired man grew with her every breath, with her every heart beat. One day, the blonde presented Tazia what she learnt in forests of Lands, she showed her, that she had been able to use the magic. Tazia was a witness of the control of water in the mountain stream, conversation with animals, singing of the wind whirling around the small Ellie's body. Unfortunately, the magic of the nature as well as the magic of elements were forbidden by the Church of the Light for any ordinary Taranian citizen and the young blonde soon felt this ban. Somebody from the village reported to girl and her lover as well as her forbidden interests. Her family house was visited by the priest in the company of five riders._

_"The magic not originating in the source of the endless light is forbidden for the man. This knowledge comes from the Emptiness between worlds and the only thing it can do to a man is to attract his soul into the middle of the Emptiness, to the eternal damnation. " She listened from the mouth of the older man attired in white robes. The priest wanted to know how did she learn to use the magic. The girl lied, she took all the blame upon herself so that her boyfriend remained safe. She said the knowledge had come to her alone, during one of prophetic dreams. Ellie was taken to the Temple in order to be cleaned by the scared lighting of the disk to prevent the proliferation of the evil to other people. Her mother cried and her father wasn't able to look in the direction of the procession which took her from the family house. Tazia stayed in the room. She sat hunched in the corner waiting for priests to walk away and her friend to return for her. Priests walked away, but Ellie left home with them. Parents sold the house in order to pay for all sins of their daughter. At last, Ellie was released from the prison for heretics. She came back as the completely changed person and a few weeks later she was found hanged on one of the oldest oaks in the forest._

Tazia cleared her of tears moving into the way forward. The Sun was hiding under the horizon, its red hue rose over dark forest. The expedition of the girl was long, because she chose the safe route. She would have reached her destination faster, if she had traveled along roads in the forest inhabited by Ettercaps and other monsters. Tazia didn't feel like fighting and using the magic, not after what had happened shipboard. Tazia stopped nearby the wooden sculpture looking like a sun, casting a long shadow on the crossroads. Her thoughts moved to the another moment of her life, to the day when she had met Azureus for the first time.

_She was kneeling on the earth road in the front of the wooden pylon with the sculpture in the shape of the sun radiating above surroundings. She cried, not being able to cope with what had happened to her best friend. She didn't understand how it could happen to her._

_"Why did you punish her? Why did you take her away from me? " She turned through tears to the God of the Light represented by the wooden sun._

_"She did nothing wrong! She loved people, loved the nature, loved you!" The girl shouted._

_"She would never use her abilities to do harm somebody! Never! Why did you gave such a terrible fate to her?" Tazia hit the earth with fists. She felt that somebody had approached her, somebody was looking at her. She turned around and noticed the young man, the boy with long hair, dressed in the uniform with the image of the eagle._

_"What great tragedy happened, that you're despairing so terribly?" The stranger asked. The girl wiped tears from the cheek, got up and came to long-haired man._

_"My good friend took her own life..." She said shakily._

_"Why?"_

_"She underwent cleaning at the Temple, she was bathed in the glitter of the Lord of the Light's justice. When she came back, she was completely different person. Something died in her... she could not live farther."_

_"Was she guilty? Did the evil lie in her heart? Was cleaning the only medicine?" The boy asked questions._

_"She wasn't bad! She loved the entire world, I don't understand how Lord of the Light could let something like that!" Tazia whispered not looking at the stranger's eyes._

_"Why do you think that Lord of the Light decided about her life?"_

_"He sent priests so that they punished Ellie and healed her soul using the light of the disk!"_

_"Why do you claim that priests are fulfilling His will? Don't you think it was only and exclusively their decision?"_

_The black-haired girl didn't know how to answer to the final question. The boy looked at her with stern eyesight._

_"Is the Lord of the Light the source of the goodness and the justice?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Is he making mistakes?"_

_"He's not."_

_"The priests don't represent real Lord of the Light, real God. It's the only explaining of the death of your friend. A long time ago, there were no temple or priests and in spite of it the world was overfilled with the magic and the peculiarity. Gods, the real Gods, they looked us after and helped us with everyday matters. But the group of people calling themselves Priests of the Light subjugated the source of the enormous power, natural power lying dormant in our world and called it the Lord of the Light. They took a control over our life frightening us with the god whom they invented. But he is as real as real sun is this piece of rotten wood!" The boy took the sword out of the scabbard pointing it at the sculpture behind the girl's back._

_"What are you doing?" The frightened Tazia asked._

_"I'm removing the curtain of the illusion from in front of your eyes!" The stranger announced knocking the pole down with the sword. The wooden sun fell down on the grass. Tazia looked at the entire event in an astonishment._

_"You see? Nothing happened. No penalty fell on me." The long-haired boy said with a satisfaction._

_"As this artificial sun went out, the disk inside the temple can disappear and Tarania can be freed from the yoke of the Light. The return to the old world, in which everyone could be whom they wanted to be is possible, if only you believe it. My name is Azureus and if you don't want to see pointless deaths again, join me. Join the Clan of the Night! Help me to restore our homeland her real soul." The boy suggested stretching the hand out towards the frightened girl._

The moonless night fell on the lands. Surroundings that the girl travelled across were too dangerous for the travel after the dusk, therefore Tazia decided to stop, make a camp and wait in it until the dawn. Using the magic, she lighted a fire of blue flames. Knowing that apart from generating the warmth and light the spell was scaring forest animals and other lice off, the black-haired decided to fall asleep for an hour. Unfortunately, the dream didn't come, the girl was stimulated by the travel and memories which it brought to her. She closed her eyes and listening intently to the crack of the magic flame, she returned in her thoughts to the moment when she had come to the Clan of the Night hideout for the first time.

_When she approached the old building of the royal castle standing somewhere at Tarania's outskirts, far from the centre, and the temple, she didn't guess that she had been already at the destination of her travel. She would never guess that ruins standing before her, without windows and with walls breaking down for decades of the attack of elements of nature, were an illusion covering the dwelling place of one of the most secret organizations in the entire lands. When the boy took out the sword decorated with the sapphire jewel, the door of the hovel opened and the girl saw a long corridor, bathed in the darkness. The size of the tunnel increased with every step of the black-haired girl until it turned into the extensive courtyard lighted with blue glitter of magic torches. The girl spotted the dark figures hiding in the shadow and frightened she approached Azureus._

_"These are Charmers, wizards who devoted their entire life for the Clan of the Night. Their only objective is to keep the illusion around this place so that nobody from the Temple detects its existance. Their devotion is admirable. They spend the entire days on standing in one place and the recitation of spells, a short rest is their only respite. They must change the words of charms all the time, use more and more new combinations of symbols, since otherwise priests would be able to detect their magical activity and this place would be unmasked and destroyed. Look at them, they are so faithful to our cause that they hid their faces so that the view of the physical world doesn't destroy their concentration."_

_The girl looked carefully at figures in black habits. Each of them had mask on the face, compound of a few connected metal sheets. Some of them were flat, other looked like bird's beaks, some incomprehensible muttering was sounding from them. Tazia quickened the pace, because the room horrified her._

_The Girl, because of her natural magic abilities she inherited after her mother, was assigned to the group of young witches, trained by Windan witch to become hit squad for the Clan of the Night. Tazia stood by the wall, between the blonde with hair tied into a ponytail and the tall girl with pale skin, long, grey hair and pointed ears, who came from Arillon. Windan was walking along the row of girls looking at them attentively. She was not so young woman dressed in the black, close-fitting dress and the dark cape. She had a slim and shapely body and only the creased face hidden under raven-black hair gave her real age away. _

_A few next years of learning the magic under Windan's eye were a real nightmare for Tazia and her friends from the group. Trainings using offensive as well as defensive spells, long nights spent on remembering the contents of books which the witch got from some distant lands, physical and magic fights with friends to the delight of the witch and other members of the organization, forcing to repulsive things, for example staying in little rooms with the most atrocious lice which were born in lands and arousing in oneself the worst emotions, were an everyday life for every young neophytes of the magic. Tazia hated Windan, she wished her death, it horrified her because she had never had such thoughts before._

_"You must forget about who you were before the accession to the Clan of the Night. You must forget about the ones who you knew outside walls of our fortress. You all will find your own attribute and become a master in using it or you will die trying." The witch said looking at young women. Teaching methods were exhaustive for girls, in particular every mistake was punished by illness spell, after which young enchantresses had fever and vomited for a few consecutive days and nights. Not all of the women managed to cope with such a training. Tazia survived the next suicidal death of her friend._

_The girl underwent the training and was admitted to the Clan of the Night. Master Asanar, founder of the clan, gave her the dagger with a sapphire personally. The grey man in the dark dress with the necklace in the shape of the half of the sun recited words of the oath before the girl and she had to repeat them. Tazia thought then that she had to escape from the Clan of the Night, to the place where Windan could not find her. She was convinced that the accession to the organization had been a very bad idea. In that day, she had met Azureus once again. The man, a few years older and more important in the Clan of the Night, told Master Asanar that he wanted Tazia to become his assistant. It was a ticket to freedom and escape from Windan's hand for the black-haired girl, therefore she agreed without hesitation._

When a dawn broke, the girl set off to the marshes in hidden the cottage of the old oracle was hidden. She followed the only path not leading into the treacherous swamp in which her horse and she would be buried alive. She had the map received from Azureus during their first expedition to Pylfiders. Bogs, from which fumes stinking of sulphur got out, surrounded her and poisonous juices dribbled from plants sticking out of the wet soil. Tazia wasn't afraid as much as during her previous visit in that place, she was more self-confident and determined to perform the mission entrusted her. The girl reached the forest clearing where the wooden cottage of the authority stood. The place covered in the fog and the sulphuric smoke looked like taken straight out from the heart of the infernal land. The cottage was surrounded by a few wooden carved poles looking like heads of snakes. Two women with faces covered by black rags went out. One of them carried the horse of the girl to the place, where it could safely wait for the end of the visit and second one asked Tazia to enter the interior of the house and meet with the old prophetess. The woman stood in the middle of the large room with the servant who helped her to keep the vertical posture. Her face was covered by the wooden mask and she kept the gnarled cane in the hand. Black candles were placed around the woman, but the only one was burning with a yellow flame adding the mystery to the room.

"Approach me, child. I know why you arrived here. I know what information you want." The woman said looking at black-haired girl from eye sockets of the wooden mask. Tazia made a few hesitant footsteps in the direction of the authority.

"Girl with golden hair who is able to go through bright disks and create as well as destroy them as if she had the divine power, will be found on your own and your teacher's roads. She found his name and she will want to learn why he desires her so much. Her journey has already began, child. She is sailing to the meeting with her future."

"Where is she sailing?" Tazia asked.

"Here, to Tarania. Your meeting will be held here, on this land. You don't have to seek her, she will find you." The old woman said sitting down on the chair leaned by the wall.

"Can you be more accurate? Can you say when will she arrive at our land?" The black-haired asked but didn't get answers. The old woman waved the hand at her telling her to go away because she felt tired and she was going to spend the rest of the day on regenerating meditation. The black-haired girl was taken outside by two aids of the authority, where the third minder waited for her along with her horse. The animal was watered and ready to return journey. Tazia felt wanted to ask the woman about other matters, concerning her, Azureus and the Clan of the Night, but she realized that further attempts to disturb woman's meditation could end with violent reaction of minders of the authority. The girl got on a horse in order to leave inhospitable areas of Pylfiders bogs once and for all.

When Tazia reached the land where she had lived in the childhood and which had been a witness of the first tragedy in her live, the Sun disappeared under the horizon. Lands stretching out in front of the girl's eyes were bathed in red glitter and nocturnal animals slowly took the floor after the entire day of the silence. Tazia felt relaxed, thoughts about the past didn't torment her as during the trip to the old prophetess. In spite of it, she thought that she hadn't accomplished her task and the old woman told her something about which she and Azureus, intuitively knew from the time when the temple in the mountains had been destroyed. The girl stopped the horse on the hill to look at landscapes of the childhood for the last time. She spotted some shadow walking across the meadow. When she looked at it more precisely, it turned out that it was the old herbalist, one of the people closest to her. The woman was colecting herbs in the same way as many years ago, dressed in similar clothes which she had worn when Tazia and Ellie ran carefree all over meadows as thirteen-year-old girls. Although a lot changed and the most of the serene life of the girl fell into oblivion, it turned out that unchanging things had existed. The smile of joy returned to the face of the girl and hope again caught fire in her heart. Tazia ran to her former friend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Azureus stood in a front of the huge, double door decorated by the golden sculpture portraying the eagle on the radiating Sun. Two men stood on both sides of the door, both dressed in an attire similar to the long-haired man's clothes, leather armor and white robes with the motive identical as the one visible on the door. One of the guards opened the gate seeing the approaching warrior and bowed before him with a great respect. Both men were knights of the Queen and Azureus was their superior. Long-haired man entered the throne room of the castle belonging to the Taranian Queen. The room was large and bright, because sunlight was coming into the interior from the huge windows. Richly ornamented ceiling with sculptures describing scenes from Scriptures of the kingdom was held by solid columns with images of legendary kings, the founders of the power of the state. There were many people inside: knights, advisers to the queen, priests dressed in white robes as well as colorful jester whom the Taranian queen adored the most. The queen residing in the castle was a fat woman with plump hands and legs, the short height and the face looking like the full moon. She had the white dress covering the large portion of her corpulent body. She was sitting on the throne looking at persons keeping her company with her rat's eyes. The mustachioed man dressed in the green came up to her and nodding, announced Azureus' arrival.

"Your highness, one of your bravest warriors has arrived. Commander of Legions of the Golden Eagle, Azureus has come back from his expedition." He said with undertone. The grey haired priest became interested in the arriving man and came closer to the throne. The queen looked at him reluctantly.

"Now? And where he had travelled so long! Let him come here quickly, because I have no free time to spare!" The woman ordered with a shrill voice. The warrior bowed the same as the man with a big moustache a few moments earlier and started telling his story.

"Your highness. I have arrived from distant mountains of Aranis island, where I tracked the very dangerous sect which could threaten the safety of our land. My expedition has ended with a success, I managed to find their hiding place in high mountains of the South islands, where they devoted themselves to forbidden magic practices..."

"And what?" The queen was made impatient with the long monologue of the man.

"The threat was neutralized. The witch looking after that place was executed and all objects of her charms destroyed. However we incurred severe losses, since..."

"And I don't care!" The Woman screamed at the long-haired knight.

"The filthy place was destroyed and this is all that counts! You deserve the award! But I don't have time to listen about what happened to your subordinates! You can replace the people! And now go away, because I have no time and I am hungry!" The queen became nervous very much, because Azureus came to her just in the moment when her dinner came near.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The man answered diverging from the throne of the queen. When he went off few strides towards the exit door, the priest of The Church of Light joined him.

"Don't be upset by our Queen, Azureus from Tarania. She has much more important cases on the head than listening about the extermination of some sect unknown to her." He said smiling.

" But I will listen about adventures which came across you and your team during the expedition into the inhospitable Aranis' lands. I don't know details of your expedition, could you introduce me to them?"

"I don't have a lot of time too, because I have the arranged audience with the High Priest of the Church of Light. He is waiting for me today."

"Of course, the service for the Kingdom and the Temple is the most important, you are indeed a model for all candidates for Legionnaires of the Golden Eagle. But the High Priest won't suffer damage, when you reach him a few minutes later, right?"

Azureus stopped. He looked out of the window behind which one could see castle gardens turning green in the solar glitter.

"Amirius, I can see that you won't leave me alone until I tell you secrets of my expedition." He replied. The grey haired priest smiled although his face expressed embarrassment.

"Losses which you mentioned puzzled me..."

The man leaned against the stone wall covered by green creepers.

"When we captured the witch and destroyed the temple full of her forbidden magic... she cast a spell on us. She cursed us wanting that we didn't live to see the borders of our kingdom. We managed to capture her, overpower her and then shut her away in the deepest deck so that she could spend the rest of sea travel all the darkness. We were going to bring her to the temple, where priests would destroy the evil powers which entirely took control of her body. We didn't appreciate the power of demons from the Emptiness outside the Worlds and it was our biggest mistake. The witch summoned the terrible sea storm above our galleon. Over the half of my people was taken by waves or burnt in the fire which exploded aboard. The ship would smash against the rocks, if I hadn't managed to hush the witch up forever, with the sword..." Azureus told the version of his story intended for the court of the queen and priests from the Temple of the Light. He was very convincing and the older man keeping him company didn't guess the lie.

"These wounds... they're also her fault?" Amirius asked showing the bandages on the warrior's hand.

"Yes. But luck was with me. Differently I would never reach the capital city and the depths of the Sea of Anxiety would be my place of the eternal burial."

"It's really tragic... perhaps next time you will listen to advice of priests and you will let such great dangers be destroyed by Riders from the Temple."

"If instead of our smaller group acting in the shadow, the high priest directly ordered Riders to attack the temple in the mountains, today he would have to send missionaries into the four directions of the world in order to search for new candidates for the Warriors of the Light. The smaller group had a chance to destroy this cursed place and we did it." Azureus said looking at the priest's eyes. His look was full of self-confidence and anger which appeared in him at the thought of warriors being on the services of the Church of the Light. Most clearly, some event which filled him with the dislike for white knights happened to him at one time in the past.

"And now forgive me Amirius, because I must go to the Church in order to present happenings which met me during my expedition."

Azureus walked away from the man dressed in white robes and came down along stone stairs to the small square where his horse, given him many years ago by one of caretakers from the Temple of the Light, waited for him. The man galloped towards the gate leading beyond the castle of the queen. When he was far away from the stone walls of the building being a symbol of the royalty, he came up on the hill from which a magnificent view on the land stretched out. The castle was surrounded by meadows on which villages appeared along with numerous farmlands and fields of gold. In the farther distance, one could see dark, gloomy forests stretching out until the horizon. Looking at the other side of the stronghold, more meadows were seen limited only by the walls of the city port, behind which there was nothing except the Sea of Anxiety which seemed to be boundless. Near the city a large building, looking like made from one piece of the white stone - the Temple of the Light, stood. The Sun's rays reflected from the surface of its walls as if they were emitted by it, as if the temple was an artificial sun shining above Tarania and only for Tarania. This building was the man's next stop of the journey and the meeting-place with one of his most hated people. Looking at villages and forests visible at the distance, Azureus thought about Tazia. He wondered where his companion was as well as what messages she was going to bring from the Oracle from Pylfiders. Eyes of the man gazed at the colorful gardens surrounding the temple which immediately shook him out of the reflection and reminded him about the visit the place he hated. When he reached up to the gate leading to the inside of building, two priests immediately recognized the symbol of the white eagle on his cape and rushed to him to help dismount from riding horse. The man ignored them and having get off the horse, he looked at two different persons dressed in white.

"Give him something to eat and drink." He said walking away towards the gate on which there was the large golden sculpture in the shape of the sun radiating above the entire planet was. Two nights, in uniforms identical as Azureus', greeted the guest and then the small and bald priest who examined red flowers growing close by, approached him smiling. The long-haired warrior looked behind at the meadow full of colorful flowers. In his thoughts, memories from the distant childhood appeared. It seemed to him that gardens he had remembered from those times were much bigger than the ones which he had before his very eyes in the present time.

"What is the purpose of your visit in our welcoming house?" The bald man asked.

"I'm coming from Aranis. I finished my duty as the Queen's knight and the apprentice of the Church of the Light. I'm bringing the report for the High Priest." Azureus replied. Simultaneously, he thought that if he didn't belong to the elite, doorsteps of the temple wouldn't be as hospitable for him as the priest standing before him convinced him.

"I understand... I must go to the civil service in order to announce the visit. In the meantime you can go to the city and rent the room in the inn..."

"I have no time. I must meet with the High Priest immediately!" The man announced being nervous.

"I understand... but the High Priest is a busy man... you can go to the administration department and submit your report, if it is very urgent..." The bald man replied feeling embarrassed very much.

"The High Priest will find the time, if he learns that the expedition concerned people who examined the real nature of disks of the light in the place far away from the temple!" Azureus was made impatient. Eyes of the priest became large from amazement.

"Of course... I will immediately lead you to the chamber of our great father. " He said. He ordered guards to open the doors and let the man into the interior. Azureus went inside the walls of the temple, where also the garden was located, full of trees of the different shape and artificially irrigated streams and lakes. The place was unusually calm, but the atmosphere which was there didn't fill people with optimism the same as the area of flowers growing in the front of the gate, perhaps because the place was overshadowed and surrounded from every side by walls. After the short walk along the stone pavement, the warrior reached the door of leading straight to the part of building in which living chambers of important persons were located, including the one belonging to the person heading the organization. Azureus waited for his superior in the huge, richly ornamented entrance hall with wooden furniture, portraits of the former high priests hanging on all walls and symbols of the sun in the form of low relieves on the ceiling. On the central wall of the room the portrait of the founding father of the order the Great Laurenius was hung, the man who, as legend told, knew personally the terrestrial demonstration of the God of the Light who loomed from the Bright Disk in order to change the entire land forever. The wooden door opened with a characteristic creaking and a grey haired man in the white robe appeared. The gilded locket in the shape of the sun hung on his neck.

"Welcome Azureus." The priest said.

"My secretary told me that you had important information for me. Enter my study, don't wait outside. " He suggested with joy. When they both were inside, Azureus sat down on the chair made with soft material and the priest took the place opposite him, leaning his hands on the surface of the dark-brown table.

"Do you want me to call the service to give you the food and the beverage after a long journey?" He asked.

"No. My mission didn't end and I am here only fleetingly."

"Mission. Always mission... it's no wonder that you went so far. You are one of our best pupils, dear Azureus."

" I'm performing duties to my kingdom and the Church of the Light."

"I understand... so let us go to the business..." the Priest laid his body in the armchair comfortably, carefully watching the long-haired knight.

"Information we had regarding the forbidden research planted on Aranis island turned out to be true. During the expedition we discovered the witch who had found the temple from times before the arrival of the Light in our land. As it turned out, she possessed the knowledge and magical abilities forbidden in Tarania and all lands connected to our kingdom."

"My secretary recalled something about bright disks. Did somebody..."

"Yes, I was a witness of the peculiarity. The witch strode between disks, drew the power from them to her charms, she was able to predict where they appear... there were tens of them at the church in rocks, even hundreds of disks..." Azureus said and his eyes betrayed that he was becoming fascinated by the subject. The priest was alarmed by the reaction of the man. He was afraid that the visit in such an unusual place could push the man to conclusions not very favorable to him. He looked at the sculpture of the sun standing on the table and at the window behind which were green trees from the garden.

"I hope that the evil magic of this woman didn't influence your mind. I hope that you remember that the never-ending well of goodness beneath the church is the only real place in which the light of the divine love turned up. All other disks are a mystification or charms of demons living in the emptiness between worlds which are waiting for us to become inattentive and unreasonable enough to invite them to our world."

"Of course. When I and my companions tried to capture the witch, she preferred to destroy her hiding place than to surrender." Azureus answered gladly. The priest seemed being sad.

"Have she succeed?"

"Yes, the entire hill which contained the temple and false disks collapsed, burying the evil magic forever. We managed to capture the woman, because she lost her abilities after her church was buried under debris of stones."

The priest rose from his desk, then walked to the window.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Her sinful body is resting on the seabed of Anxiety Sea."

The grey haired man was silent for a moment and then he turned to his companion.

"Could you not get her here for interrogation?" He asked.

Azureus showed the bandaged hand.

"No. The witch recovered the power over the magic when we were at sea. I managed to kill her, but the elemental storm which she summoned took the life of many companions."

"Oh... it's a real loss. Did somebody from our knighthood die?"

"No. The captain and members of his hired crew died. In the mountains, I lost many volunteers from Aranis who joined me when they had heard about sanctity of my mission."

"Let us hope that the Lord of Light will let them stay in his grasp healing the soul for eternity." The Priest said simultaneously looking out of the window at the Sun moving all over the sky and hiding behind the clouds.

"They were buried into the sea according to the laws of our kingdom."

"Well..." The grey man replied, although he was still lost in his thoughts.

"Let us talk about your important task... do you have some information about heretics for me? Did you learn more about the activity of the Clan of the Night?"

The man retained an inscrutable expression, although recalling the underground organization to which he belonged worked to him stimulatingly.

"No. I haven't traveled across roads of Tarania for weeks. Where would I be supposed to get any information from?" The High Priest was silent then again he started looking out of the window.

"Alarming news are reaching my ears... supposedly some person named Azureus is seeking some enchantress with golden hair. Is it possible that it is you who want this person?"

"It's some nonsense. My name have many men in our lands. Why would I be supposed to search for some witch? One almost killed me on the raging sea!"

"I don't know what your purpose is... remember not to take the justice into your own hand and to inform us of everything what you know about the treacherous group of people who wants to harm the stability of our state so much. You don't have to take everything in your own hands and hunt for witches."

"Honorable father... I said I don't have anything to do with any enchantress. I would like to go to the castle, where I will be able to devote myself to my duties to the Queen. Can I walk away already?" Azureus asked rising from the armchair. The priest wasn't pleased with the course of the conversation, but he also didn't want to prolong the meeting, which didn't bring him any information about persons which he was afraid so much.

"Yes. You can walk away. And let the light of our Lord enlighten your road."

"Let the light of our Lord always enlightens your decisions, The most honorable father." The long-haired man left the study of the most important person in the church.

Azureus stood in the middle of the huge entrance hall and deceased eyes of all priests, holding the highest office at the Church of the Light over the centuries looked at him from portraits hanging around. The man had one, the most difficult meeting before him: the meeting with members of the Inner Circle of the Clan of the Night and with Master Asanar himself. He left white walls of the temple right after the bald priest had opened the entrance gate and said goodbye with blessing for the further travel to him. Azureus had to come back to the port, where he had left his sword with a sapphire. He could not carry the magic artifact having trails of the Well of the Anti-Light to the areas belonging to Priests of the Light, because he would be detected and unmasked immediately. He had to be careful, particularly after he learnt that the High Priest had known about the search of the traveler with golden hair, even if he completely didn't guess the real reason of this search. The tavern "The Wailing Mermaid" was the top one spot into which the long-haired warrior came after crossing the municipal gates. This place was very dangerous to the casual passer-by, because all scum chased by the law not only from Tarania but also from all nearby lands met inside it. It was perfectly suitable for concealing the sword, since no priest or the knight belonging to the Queen would ever look there. When the man went to the back of the room, a few heads turned in his direction and followed him with their eyes. Azureus could not stop even for a moment, because somebody of those people could take it as the moment of hesitation and the chance for robbing the warrior. The plain coat on the back hid his membership to the elite of the kingdom. There were thugs from crossroads and pirates expecting the good weather for sea hunts in the tavern and a man dressed in black with the hood rested in the corner of the room. Hands as white as snow betrayed that he probably had been an Arillon resident, driven out beyond Emerald Gates for some gruesome felonies. The warrior of the Clan of the Night knocked three times at the door deep inside taverns. Some bearded man opened and recognizing the person for which he waited, invited him into a dark interior.

"How was the meeting?" He asked making sure that nobody eavesdropped on them.

"The queen didn't ask too much, she was completely uninterested in the result of my mission."

"It was predictable. And at the Church?"

"The priest is pleased with destroying the place of the creation of luminous disks. As it turned out the disaster which Ariana caused worked to our benefit. But he started suspecting something, he questioned about the Clan of the Night and my attempts to find members of this organization. I must be more careful now."

"You must pay attention to your words. Come to the main room and listen to the people. Supposedly some Azureus from Tarania is seeking the witch and the traveler with golden hair. He promises the highest reward for her."

"Did information get through here so quickly?"

"If somebody is using magic messengers in order to spread it... I'm sure that there are a few mercenaries preparing the weapon for your traveler with golden hair. Who is she?"

"Ariana's assistant. The witch taught her many spells which can be useful to our matter."

"And what about the minder of the stone temple? Wasn't she enough for you?" Azureus became irritated with the final question.

"You have too short memory? I told you exactly what had happened to Ariana when you asked me about these wounds!" The man demonstrated the bandaged hand.

"I must find her assistant, because she is the only person knowing secrets of that place."

"Somehow I can't believe that such calm and loving nature person as Ariana could try to sink your ship with spells. I remember her very well from times, when I didn't have to hide in dark taverns... she wouldn't kill those sailors, even in the self-defense. She'd rather rush into the embrace of sea waves" The bearded man was unusually curious about the fate of the woman which he remembered from former years.

"Right. I will tell you the truth. She went crazy when the Immortal Rider touched her with his darkness."

The bearded man turned away from Azureus. He was shocked by his reply.

"Immortal Rider in the Darkness? How he..."

"He received my message about the award waiting for the one who will find women who escaped from the stone temple. He wandered through Aranis then... he brought Ariana to me in the following day." Azureus said smiling victoriously.

"Did you talk to him? Did you experience his magic?" The bearded man asked, looking for something behind the table.

"I gave him the part of the award. He carried out my job, so he earned it."

"You are crazy. Do you realize what you have done?"

"I didn't see him again after he brought Ariana to me."

"You know very well what his look causes! His curse destroys everyone who were unlucky enough to meet him on the road! You've already experienced its power... attack on the ship... that's all his magic... the first step to enslave your mind and join you to his procession of undead mercenaries!"

"Your superstitions will bring death to you one day."

"And your death will be brought by your cynicism and self-confidence! But I won't be the witness! There are borders which one isn't allowed to cross, even if Tarania's future is the price! Take your sword and never come here again!" The bearded man gave the warrior his weapon decorated with sapphire. Azureus looked at him with the anger in the eyes.

"You are a coward not deserving to carry the name of the member of the Clan of the Night. Sit here in your burrow with the worst scum of this world, hide behind rows of barrels with a wine and drunk dwarves kissers. When the wind of changes comes, there will be no place for you amongst winners!"

"I'm sure that even Windan wouldn't be crazy enough to use the help of this demon to achieve her purpose. " The bearded man said.

Azureus didn't listen him. He left the dark room banging the door and very quickly moved from the dark inn. Although he could not say it directly, because he considered himself better than bearded owner of the tavern also in terms of the courage, he also knew very well, that his life was almost annihilated thanks to the black magic of the Dark Knight and Ariana was only a tool of fulfilling the curse. However he wasn't going to escape or hide like others, even the powerful Church of the Light. Hey decided that when changes come, he will free the lands from the terror which had attacked them for centuries. He decided to free the land from the terror which aroused great fear in everyone, from the drunk sleeping in the ditch to priests getting to know the secrets of bright disks. He promised to destroy the Rider striding in the Darkness. Simultaneously, he was disgusted with the behavior of his acquaintance whom he personally invited to the Clan of the Night. How was the long haired man supposed to change the world, if it was occupied by cowards?

The mysterious man dressed in black examined the jewel lying before him on the table. He looked at it with bored eyesight musing about something, spinning plans of the further action. When he touched the surface of the jewel with the bony hand, an image of Azureus and the traveler from distant lands with golden hair appeared on it. He smiled and then got up and left the tavern.

Azureus reached old ruins of the house standing far outside the city limits, in the vicinity of thick forest separating Tarania from the neighboring land. The place looked like abandoned for many years and the Nature slowly picked up the piece of the world taken away from her somewhere in the past. The man waited a few minutes making sure that nobody tracked him and then he walked towards the door. He took his sword with the sapphire jewel out and raising it overhead he removed the illusion from the part of the building. A door appeared, leading straight to the real place, hiding under the mask of ruins, place of the Clan of the Night. The man went along the corridor lightened up by magic torches passing silent Charmers who obediently created spells protecting that place from detecting by the magic users from the Temple of the Light. Their iron masks in the shape of heads of different animals granted them terrible and at the same time very depressing appearance. Magicians recognized the member of their organization in Azureus, letting him go farther. The man was soon in the long entrance hall also lighted by the magic of the torch with flames similar to the will-of-wisps deluding travelers on Aranis' bogs. As it turned out, he wasn't alone there. The witch Windan went out to meet him, leaving the dark chambers of her magic chambers. The woman had the black dress with a cape and her wrinkled face was seen from under her long and black hair.

"You don't know how I am looking forward to meet with you Azureus." The woman announced going up closer. The warrior wasn't pleased with her presence, he didn't like to talk to her after Tazia told him in how Windan treated her students.

"And where is shadow your?" She added.

"Windan, I arrived here for the meeting of the Clan of the Night. Should you not sit in the Chamber of Twilight now?"

"You always live in the constant hurry. Master Asanar hasn't come back from his meditation in the Well of AntiLight and Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra have not arrived yet. I can see that you are not with Rerik. Probably only we turned up at the right time."

"We don't have to wait for Rerik." Azureus answered coldly.

"Why?" Windan was surprised.

"Rerik died during the attempt to get priestess Ariana. He is now buried in the Aranis mountains."

"It is sad... Roughriders don't have the leader now..."

"Rerik knew very well what could happen to him, when he offered his help."

"Yes, let us not talk about the deceased. You didn't answer me to the question, where is your shadow? Where is my best pupil?"

"Tazia is a woman of her own life rather than my shadow. She can stay where she desires. She was injured in Aranis, just like myself, therefore she is now resting and building up her strength."

"Failures of the expedition certainly won't appeal to Asanar, or anybody from the Circle. Your participation in the activity of the Clan can be subjected to the voting, I hope that you are aware of this. Come with me Azureus, I will show you the future you deprived Tazia by taking her from me. I will show you whom she could become staying with me and getting to know her real, magical nature."

"Tazia decided what she wanted to do, I didn't force her to anything." Azureus said and then unwillingly went after the woman to her chamber. In the room, there were many bookcases filled with books from faraway lands and on the walls, there were hanged objects with inscriptions in languages from times before all states on the continent, swords, magic wands, talismans of different kind and pieces of stones taken from ancient temples. A large mirror with the smoked out surface stood in the central part of the room.

"I will show you what my girls achieved. Of course none of them reached such a high level as Tazia, because she has a magic in blood. The magic is something natural for her and it is coming as easy to her as the respiration, she is after all, a daughter for the powerful witch. My girls are different, each of them was able to take control of only one attribute or to control only one magic object. But each of them achieved perfection in it." The black-haired woman moved her arm over the surface of the mirror showing the scene from the distant fortress in which she trained her students. Six young women appeared in the front of eyes of the long-haired man.

"The girl with the brown clothes and the curly hair is Arisha. She is able to control desert spirits of the wind living in her urn. The blonde in the green dress is Sira who leant the art of the control of plants and animals as well as the healing magic of the nature. Her black-haired friend is Galiera, being able to create elementals in all, even the smallest water tanks. Alcuna which you can see standing in secluding in the brown dress and auburn hair, she controls frogs and other marsh lice as well as learns how to bring epidemic and rot to the people, animals and crops. Cali'Etr is the dearest daughter of Arleth'Er and Kai'Try from Arillon. Apart from that she has natural magic abilities of her race, she decided to become the Summoner. Can you see the green ball in her hands?"

"And where is the second half?" Azureus asked.

"In forests of the south continent tropics. Some flying merchant from Ganatia agreed to throw it there for high payment."

"Nobody knows exactly what kind of monsters live there. She can summon something really atrocious."

"And her power lies in it. Fear will strike our enemies." Azureus fixed his eyes on figures appearing on the gleaming surface of the magic mirror, he tried to guess their thoughts and desires, wanted to know what was covered under their sad look.

"I'm thinking how much of the free will remained in these girls after they went through your hell." He announced turning his back on the surface. The witch smiled maliciously.

"I wouldn't believe in everything what this small viper says. Don't forget who is her mother. Like mother, like daughter." She announced looking into the eyes of the man. Azureus didn't want to talk with Windan anymore and the appearance of two new persons in the magic chamber brought him the end of conversation.

"I can see that our daughter finally found her attribute." The tall man with a pale complexion, pointed ears and long grey hair turned up at the door of the chamber. He looked with the interest at images on the surface of the mirror. The woman with the similar appearance kept him company. Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra, representatives of the Arillon race arrived for meeting of the Clan the Night. Both were dressed similarly in dark uniforms resembling light armors. The man had additionally a grey cape hanged on the back.

"The time of the meeting has come. Other members of the Inner Circle are waiting for us in the Chamber of Twilight." Kai'Tra spoke.

"I agree." Azureus replied walking away from the room.

All living members of the Clan of the Night belonging to the Inner Circle sat around the black, round table and a blue lighting of magic torches fell on their faces. Master Asanar eyed all assembled company in a silence, particularly Azureus to whom he had a plenty of questions. He was a man with grey, short hair and blue eyes. He had a black dress and a locket with sapphire hanged on the neck. Arleth'Er and Kai'Tra sat by themselves resting hands, attired in gloves with attached noble stones of the Clan of the Night, on the table top. Azureus and Windan took the opposite places by the round table and the man in the brown robe with the iron mask on the face joined the group. He was a representative of charmers guarding the hiding place of the Clan of the Night from detecting. An oath of the silence applied to him therefore he was only a silent witness of the meeting, without the possibility of the participation in the conversation. Rerik's the Bald, the wizard and the leader of Wywern Roughriders, place was empty and it was supposed to stay empty forever. Asanar spoke first asking the long-haired man questions.

"We gathered here in order to hear directly from your mouth about how your mission on the Aranis island came off."

"Unfortunately I don't have good news for you Master, I have not good news for any of you, dignified members of the Inner Circle. Mission of acquiring Ariana's, keeper of the temple forged in Aranis rocks, help ended in failure. The witch preferred to destroy the place which she looked after than join our group."

"Do you say that the sanctuary in which the phenomenon of luminous disks was manifested has been destroyed?" Asanar said with raised voice. Two Arillon residents looked at each other and Windan only smiled.

"Yes. The temple and disks, which presence I was an eyewitness, were buried under the pile of rocks."

"So many years of learning... knowledge how to open and close disks... all is lost." The grey haired man spoke the undertone. How did it happen? Ariana was a supporter of revealing the truth about the Church of the Light."

"She regarded our methods too radical. She wasn't ready for changes. She was able only to dream of the new world instead trying to create it by her own hands." Azureus replied coldly.

"Did the punishment come to her?" Asanar asked.

"I tried to bring her to us by force. But unfortunately she turned out to be too shrewd. She used the magic to bring the raging storm above the royal galleon, in which I came back to Tarania. Many didn't survive the fight with the element and my wounds are evidence that I am telling the truth."

"Our losses?" Arleth'Er asked.

"Rerik was killed by the witch. A few fell in the mountains and at the sea. Many taranian sailors including the captain of the vessel."

"It is your another failure Azureus." Asanar announced.

"Where is Tazia? She kept you company during the expedition." Windan asked. Azureus looked at her with the eyes overfilled with anger.

"The free time of my assistant isn't an subject important enough to talk about it at the meeting of the Inner Circle." He answered.

"Why? Perhaps what she is doing is very essential for us?" the Witch asked.

"She is treating her wounds. She deserves a moment's peace after all of this." The man tried to finish the conversation about the black-haired girl as soon as possible.

"Azureus, what happened to her? You are also wounded and yet you appeared here before everyone of us." Asanar joined the conversation.

"Well. If you want so much to know then I will tell you... Tazia is treating psychic wounds because at the sea she rescued my life and the entire crew, by killing Ariana, her own mother!" Azureus announced being upset very much. Asanar didn't say a word, similarly to the couple from Arillon. Windan smiled widely.

"I have always known that she is my best pupil." She said.

"Let us finish the topic of the young witch. She is completely unimportant for this meeting." Arleth'Er stopped the conversation about Tazia.

"I agree." Kai'Tra added. The magus with the face covered with the iron mask raised the hand in token of agreeing with predecessors.

"Have somebody from the court or the Temple of the Light suspected something, Azureus?" The Leader of the Clan of the Night asked.

"No. I talked to the queen and the high priest. I think that they believed the version of the events which I told to them."

"At least it didn't turn out to be a failure." The grey haired magus sighed.

"What our plans are now, after this crushing defeat in Aranis and destroying the temple of luminous disks?" The long haired man with pointed ears asked. Asanar fell into a pensive mood.

"I cannot make decisions now. I am ordering the adjournment for the time of one day." He replied rising from the armchair.

"Meanwhile, go rest to the guest rooms." He added after a moment. He left through the decorated door at the end of the chamber. Two elf also left the room, as well as to the wizard in the iron mask. Windan and Azureus stayed in the room one-on-one. The black-haired woman approached the man. She again smiled maliciously.

"At the moment your words got you out of the trouble, but remember that at one time I will find something on you and you will finally understand what happens when somebody takes my best students from me."

Meanwhile, the ship in which Illyana and Agnar had travelled, reached the harbor in Tarania. There was already a night above the city and everything around was plunged into the darkness and glitter of torches burning in walls of buildings surrounding narrow city streets. Guardian from Aranis and his companion slowly walked away from the ship. The girl had veil covering her hair. There were no blondes in Tarania, therefore the boy advised her not to stand out from the crowd and not to arouse an suspicions. Illyana looked at the landscape surrounding her with the thrill of emotion and at the same time with a huge curiosity. She looked at dwarf selling axes to somebody in the dark backstreet, prostitutes standing before entries to taverns and travelling circus performers exercising performances and showing off the art of swallowing the fire. The face of the port at the night was different than daily, more mysterious, but simultaneously much more dangerous. Soldiers of the Queen walking here and there weren't any protection against thugs, thieves, madmen and perverts hiding in gutters.

"We must go to some tavern as soon as possible. I know a few in which we will almost safe." Agnar said.

"Almost?" The girl asked.

"The harbor is the worst part of Tarania. It is the place in which trails from many faraway lands are crossing. Therefore it is possible to meet literally everyone here."

"The same is in New York. I have experience."

"But in spite of it don't grow apart from me. Unaccompanied young women don't walk here after the dusk. Unless they are prostitutes like those three. But not everyone will dare to attack two travelers."

" Great. And I am supposed to search such a place for this Azureus..."

"There are many beautiful safe places here, tomorrow I will lead you to gardens near the Church."

"Now let us find some accommodation, because e some repulsive fat person is looking at me." The girl announced pointing at the hunchback lurking behind the stone building.

A woman with the face hidden behind the brown hood got off the ship which arrived from Aranis. She looked around noticing suspected people gazing at her, some two slobbering drunks waiting for inattentive travelers. She quickened the pace to come closer the guards of the city and not to become a victim of some crazy killer. Arletta arrived her to look for of the Clan of the Night full of hope for the change of the situation prevailing on her island.


End file.
